How to decipher the environmental resilience performance? A case study of Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration

Improving environmental resilience performance (ERP) is a significant support for achieving sustainable development goals. This study introduces the three-dimensional analysis framework of "object-process-actor", capable of addressing multidimensional and multilevel issues. This framework systematically addresses the "three key questions" of what, how, and who to improve ERP. Results indicate that from 2011 to 2020, the ERP of the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration (YRDUA) was between 0.42 and 3.30. The violin plot and visualization analysis showed that its probability density and distribution status were stable, with significant regional differences. The ERP of economically developed cities such as Hangzhou and Shanghai is high, while the ERP of cities in the Yancheng-Chuzhou line is low, and the number of high-performing cities increases to 40.7% in 2020, which is a constantly improving development trend. Factors related to market actors have the greatest impact on ERP, with the explanatory power of FDI, green invention patents, and population concentration all exceeding 0.6, and the importance of government and social actors is also supported. The explanatory power of factor interactions was stronger than that of single factors, and land development degree ranked third in terms of its interaction power with other factors and was also a key factor influencing ERP. These findings provide new explanations and knowledge for improving ERP, which can provide references for policymakers and urban planners.