Social network analysis of intergovernmental relations and policy tools in China’s coastal reclamation management

As an effective means of sea development and utilization, high-intensity coastal reclamation activities lead to increasingly prominent ecological problems. The accurate implementation of policies is paramount in managing and controlling coastal reclamation. We reviewed China’s coastal reclamation management and control policies from 1978 to 2022. Utilizing content analysis and social network analysis, we constructed a policy network to explore the evolution of intergovernmental relations and the habitual combination of policy tools in coastal reclamation management and control. The study shows that (1) The intergovernmental relations of reclamation management and control agencies have evolved from simple to complex, with key departments becoming increasingly prominent; (2) Environmental considerations form the mainstay of policy tools for reclamation control, highlighting an imbalance between supply-side and demand-side approaches; (3) Since 1999, the interactive network between intergovernmental relations and policy tools has begun to exhibit a distinct core-periphery structure, and the social circle has gradually expanded to form a social circle consisting of 23 administrative departments and most departmental policy tools, while there are also some independent working factions at different stages; (4) Policy sustainability is currently inadequate, and in the later stages of management and control, there is a noticeable conflict within the policy texts. The study shows that, China’s coastal reclamation management and controlstill faces challenges, It is necessary to continue to explore the policy visualization methods used in coastal reclamation to help balance policy tools and build efficient intergovernmental relations.