Temporal and spatial evolution of green development capacity in western <scp>China</scp>

Abstract Using land use data and multi‐source remote sensing data and products, this paper selected comprehensive indices including the land use degree, habitat quality index, and the improved ecological environment index from the perspectives of efficiency, harmony, and sustainability. It calculated the Green Development Power Index (GDPI) using an objective weighting method and analyzed the spatial and temporal evolution of the GDPI in the western region from 2000 to 2020. The results of the paper showed that: (1) The level of green development power in the western region generally showed a progressive distribution pattern, with higher values in the north and west, and lower values in the south and east. The overall level of green development was positioned between the levels of stronger and strong development power. (2) From 2000 to 2020, the average values of the GDPI in the western region were 0.612, 0.613, 0.615, 0.610, and 0.594, respectively. The proportions of areas with stronger levels of green development power were 51.2%, 51.3%, 51.3%, 51.1%, and 47.0%, respectively. (3) Between 2000 and 2020, the level of the GDPI in the western region as a whole was in a basically stable state. The strong development power was mainly concentrated in desert Gobi regions such as Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Qinghai, and Gansu, which are characterized by lower altitude. In contrast, weaker development power was primarily found in regions like Sichuan and Shaanxi, which experienced rapid economic development, high levels of urbanization, and high population density.