A new analytic hierarchy process-based soil health assessment framework for the sponge city in China

Abstract

Rapid urbanisation and climate change highlight the pressing need for sustainable urban water management, leading to the emergence of Sponge City initiatives as essential nature-based solutions. Urban soil health is a crucial factor that influences the resilience of ecosystems and the long-term viability of green infrastructure, significantly determining the effectiveness of nature-based solutions. However, existing assessment frameworks inadequately consider this essential element. This study utilises the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to develop a systematic soil health assessment framework tailored for China's Sponge City, encompassing physical, biochemical, ecological, and human-related dimensions with twelve detailed sub-indicators validated by consultations with 14 domain experts. Pairwise comparison matrices were employed to synthesise expert evaluations, and a thorough sensitivity analysis confirmed the framework's reliability across 100 iterations. The results emphasise the significance of ecological indicators (Wi = 0.3442), with biodiversity (Wi = 0.1874), soil organic matter (Wi = 0.1141), and pollutant control (Wi = 0.0914) identified as key factors. All comparisons demonstrated strong consistency (CR ≤ 0.1), and sensitivity tests confirmed the stability of priorities, identifying "Comprehensive Protection of Ecological Biodiversity" as the optimal management strategy (Wi = 0.3467). While referencing international benchmarks, the study advocates regional calibration, offering urban planners a scientifically robust tool to advance urban resilience and ecological sustainability.

Date of Award	15 Nov 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Nottingham
Supervisor	Faith Chan (Supervisor) & Tengwen Long (Supervisor)