Abstract:

The theory of the coordination degree has been viewed as an important way to research the degree of coupling between the regional economic development and environmental protection. Many studies about the coordination degree between economy and environment effectively identified whether the relationship between economy and environment was in the state of coordination. Although some researchers have done lots of studies, it is still a disputable question how to make a rational assessment of the degree of coupling between economy and environment.Based on the theory, this paper established an indicator system, a model and a calculating method for the coordination degree. Through technological treatment and analysis of ten-years′ data of the 14 cities in Liaoning Province, the article made an attempt to assess the coordination degree between the economic growth and the conservation of environment. Many conclusions were obtained as follows: the coordination degree between economy and environment in Liaoning Province was generally situated in the stage of reconciliation from 1996 to 2005, while in the spatial distribution, the cities with the higher value of the coordination degree mainly were located in the southern coastal areas and those with the lower value of the coordination degree were mostly in the eastern and western parts of Liaoning Province. The evolutional trend of the coordination degree between economy and environment in Liaoning Province was a "V-shaped" curve since 1996, and the coordination degree had the lowest value of the transitional stage from the ninth five-year plan to the tenth. The relationship between the economic development and coordination degree was in line with a "U-shaped" curve, and the lowest value of the coordination degree value occurred in the Ⅱ stage of the economic development which was the initial and middle periods of industrialization. The coordination degrees of the 14 cities presented an unbalanced development from 1996 to 2005, and among these cities Dalian held a higher value of coordination degree. These conclusions will help the government to understand and forecast the developing trend in the coordination of each city in Liaoning Province, so as to adjust it on time and to avoid the economic growth relying on the deterioration of resources and environment. Finally, this paper suggested that, taking Dalian as a "cock", it should carry out regional cooperation strategies with the other cities which had far lower values of coordination degree, in order to reach the state of coordination for each city of Liaoning Province between the economic development and the environmental protection. The detailed measures included technological support about the conservation of environment, the assistance of the economic and environmental professors, and the funds offered to develop the regional economy and protect the ecological environment.

Key words: conclusion and strategy, economy and environment, Liaoning Province, the coordination degree