Implementation Effect, Obstacles and Optimized Paths of Urban Ecological Planning in Nanchang: Based on Watershed Ecology and Wetland Protection

Abstract

Nanchang, Jiangxi’s capital and China’s first provincial-level International Wetland City, sits in the Yangtze River’s middle reaches and encompasses the Ganjiang and Fu rivers and Poyang Lake. From 2019 to 2024, it advanced ecological planning—including Sponge City construction and Ganjiang riverbank ecological corridors—yielding measurable gains in wetland protection and water quality. Yet challenges persist: poor watershed coordination, conservation-development imbalance, lack of outcome metrics, and insufficient public engagement and investment. This study evaluates Nanchang’s ecological performance during this period using a multi-criteria index (AHP and entropy weighting) and ArcGIS analysis to identify bottlenecks. It also draws lessons from comparable inland lake cities abroad to inform practical, scalable strategies. Ultimately, it aims to strengthen urban ecology practice in lake-dependent cities and support Nanchang’s evidence-based, adaptive ecological planning.