Developing a Multidimensional Strategy for Water Eco-Environmental Protection in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Urban Agglomeration: An Integrated SWOT-PROMETHEE-AHP Approach

Lack of systematic attention to water eco-environmentalprotection(WEEP) leads to the inadequate comprehension of the relationship betweenurbanization and eco-environment, restricting sustainable development.This study introduced an innovative multidimensional WEEP strategydevelopment model that simultaneously evaluated qualitative and quantitativeindices, such as socioeconomic development, pollutant emissions, waterresources, ecology, and environmental governance. The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei(BTH) region was chosen as the case of urban agglomeration. Resultsindicated that a transition from a threat-led approach to a strength-ledapproach was essential to improve the WEEP level in BTH. Regionalstrategic zoning minimized the suitability error caused by the randomerror of regional environmental factors. WEEP strategies were furtherproposed at an administrative city level based on the contributionof specific indicators for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, andthreats, mitigating the suitability error caused by the random errorof specific factors in different cities. Similar dominant indicesmay be identified in cities belonging to different strategic zones,while they may vary widely in cities belonging to a strategic zone.The integrated model established in this study provides valuable insightinto strategy development at both regional and administrative citylevels under systematic consideration, highlighting future WEEP developmentpathways toward sustainable development in BTH. This study provides guidance for futurewater eco-environmentalprotection strategy development toward sustainable development inbig urban agglomerations.