{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,23]],"date-time":"2026-04-23T19:38:51Z","timestamp":1776973131904,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":55,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,23]],"date-time":"2023-03-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1679529600000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.springernature.com\/gp\/researchers\/text-and-data-mining"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,23]],"date-time":"2023-03-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1679529600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.springernature.com\/gp\/researchers\/text-and-data-mining"}],"funder":[{"name":"Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province of China","award":["2021B1515020103"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2021B1515020103"]}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001809","name":"National Natural Science Foundation of China","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["72003071"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["72003071"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001809","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"Guangzhou Philosophy and Social Science Planning 2020 Annual Project","award":["2020GZGJ57"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2020GZGJ57"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Ann Oper Res"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,12]]},"DOI":"10.1007\/s10479-023-05294-6","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,23]],"date-time":"2023-03-23T11:03:16Z","timestamp":1679569396000},"page":"2351-2371","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":13,"title":["Productivity evaluation of urban water supply industry in China: a metafrontier-biennial cost Malmquist productivity index approach"],"prefix":"10.1007","volume":"355","author":[{"given":"Minzhe","family":"Du","sequence":"first","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Bing","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9942-4169","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Zhongfei","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Liping","family":"Liao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,23]]},"reference":[{"issue":"3\u20134","key":"5294_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"233","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jup.2009.05.001","volume":"17","author":"M Abbott","year":"2009","unstructured":"Abbott, M., & Cohen, B. (2009). Productivity and efficiency in the water industry. Utilities Policy, 17(3\u20134), 233\u2013244.","journal-title":"Utilities Policy"},{"key":"5294_CR2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1097","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jclepro.2018.06.145","volume":"196","author":"J Ananda","year":"2018","unstructured":"Ananda, J. (2018). Productivity implications of the water-energy-emissions nexus: An empirical analysis of the drinking water and wastewater sector. Journal of Cleaner Production, 196, 1097\u20131105.","journal-title":"Journal of Cleaner Production"},{"key":"5294_CR3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"211","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ecolecon.2015.04.025","volume":"116","author":"J Ananda","year":"2015","unstructured":"Ananda, J., & Hampf, B. (2015). Measuring environmentally sensitive productivity growth: An application to the urban water sector. Ecological Economics, 116, 211\u2013219.","journal-title":"Ecological Economics"},{"issue":"1","key":"5294_CR4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"55","DOI":"10.1007\/s11123-019-00545-w","volume":"51","author":"J Ananda","year":"2019","unstructured":"Ananda, J., & Pawsey, N. (2019). Benchmarking service quality in the urban water industry. Journal of Productivity Analysis, 51(1), 55\u201372.","journal-title":"Journal of Productivity Analysis"},{"issue":"4","key":"5294_CR5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"687","DOI":"10.1017\/S1355770X02000414","volume":"7","author":"L Anwandter","year":"2002","unstructured":"Anwandter, L. (2002). Can public sector reforms improve the efficiency of public water utilities? Environment and Development Economics, 7(4), 687\u2013700.","journal-title":"Environment and Development Economics"},{"key":"5294_CR6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"314","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jenvman.2014.05.037","volume":"145","author":"MA Azad","year":"2014","unstructured":"Azad, M. A., & Ancev, T. (2014). Measuring environmental efficiency of agricultural water use: A Luenberger environmental indicator. Journal of Environmental Management, 145, 314\u2013320.","journal-title":"Journal of Environmental Management"},{"issue":"3","key":"5294_CR7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"374","DOI":"10.1016\/j.strueco.2004.04.008","volume":"16","author":"E Ball","year":"2005","unstructured":"Ball, E., F\u00e4re, R., Grosskopf, S., & Zaim, O. (2005). Accounting for externalities in the measurement of productivity growth: The Malmquist cost productivity measure. Structural Shange and Economic Dynamics, 16(3), 374\u2013394.","journal-title":"Structural Shange and Economic Dynamics"},{"key":"5294_CR8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"15","DOI":"10.1016\/j.resconrec.2013.11.010","volume":"83","author":"Y Bian","year":"2014","unstructured":"Bian, Y., Yan, S., & Xu, H. (2014). Efficiency evaluation for regional urban water use and wastewater decontamination systems in China: A DEA approach. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 83, 15\u201323.","journal-title":"Resources, Conservation and Recycling"},{"issue":"3","key":"5294_CR9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"466","DOI":"10.1287\/mnsc.42.3.466","volume":"42","author":"PL Brockett","year":"1996","unstructured":"Brockett, P. L., & Golany, B. (1996). Using rank statistics for determining programmatic efficiency differences in data envelopment analysis. Management Science, 42(3), 466\u2013472.","journal-title":"Management Science"},{"issue":"6","key":"5294_CR10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"668","DOI":"10.1287\/mnsc.27.6.668","volume":"27","author":"A Charnes","year":"1981","unstructured":"Charnes, A., Cooper, W. W., & Rhodes, E. (1981). Evaluating program and managerial efficiency: An application of data envelopment analysis to program follow through. Management Science, 27(6), 668\u2013697.","journal-title":"Management Science"},{"key":"5294_CR11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"133885","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jclepro.2022.133885","volume":"373","author":"J Chen","year":"2022","unstructured":"Chen, J., Du, M., & Huang, C. (2022). Efficiency and its influencing factors of urban water sector in China and major OECD countries. Journal of Cleaner Production, 373, 133885.","journal-title":"Journal of Cleaner Production"},{"key":"5294_CR12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.pacfin.2015.11.003","volume":"36","author":"CR Chiu","year":"2016","unstructured":"Chiu, C. R., Chiu, Y. H., Chen, Y. C., & Fang, C. L. (2016). Exploring the source of metafrontier inefficiency for various bank types in the two-stage network system with undesirable output. Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, 36, 1\u201313.","journal-title":"Pacific-Basin Finance Journal"},{"issue":"4","key":"5294_CR13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"595","DOI":"10.1111\/itor.12008","volume":"20","author":"CR Chiu","year":"2013","unstructured":"Chiu, C. R., Lu, K. H., Tsang, S. S., & Chen, Y. F. (2013). Decomposition of meta-frontier inefficiency in the two-stage network directional distance function with quasi-fixed inputs. International Transactions in Operational Research, 20(4), 595\u2013611.","journal-title":"International Transactions in Operational Research"},{"issue":"6","key":"5294_CR14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4823","DOI":"10.1002\/2014WR016869","volume":"51","author":"WJ Cosgrove","year":"2015","unstructured":"Cosgrove, W. J., & Loucks, D. P. (2015). Water management: Current and future challenges and research directions. Water Resources Research, 51(6), 4823\u20134839.","journal-title":"Water Resources Research"},{"key":"5294_CR15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"70","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jup.2012.09.002","volume":"24","author":"NF da Cruz","year":"2013","unstructured":"da Cruz, N. F., Carvalho, P., & Marques, R. C. (2013). Disentangling the cost efficiency of jointly provided water and wastewater services. Utilities Policy, 24, 70\u201377.","journal-title":"Utilities Policy"},{"key":"5294_CR16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"658","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jenvman.2018.06.073","volume":"223","author":"D De Clercq","year":"2018","unstructured":"De Clercq, D., Smith, K., Chou, B., Gonzalez, A., Kothapalle, R., Li, C., Dong, X., Liu, S., & Wen, Z. (2018). Identification of urban drinking water supply patterns across 627 cities in China based on supervised and unsupervised statistical learning. Journal of Environmental Management, 223, 658\u2013667.","journal-title":"Journal of Environmental Management"},{"issue":"1","key":"5294_CR17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"377","DOI":"10.1007\/s10479-010-0754-6","volume":"181","author":"K De Witte","year":"2010","unstructured":"De Witte, K., & Marques, R. C. (2010). Influential observations in frontier models, a robust non-oriented approach to the water sector. Annals of Operations Research, 181(1), 377\u2013392.","journal-title":"Annals of Operations Research"},{"key":"5294_CR18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"157509","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scitotenv.2022.157509","volume":"846","author":"M Du","year":"2022","unstructured":"Du, M., Feng, R., & Chen, Z. (2022a). Blue sky defense in low-carbon pilot cities: A spatial spillover perspective of carbon emission efficiency. Science of the Total Environment, 846, 157509.","journal-title":"Science of the Total Environment"},{"key":"5294_CR19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"115706","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jenvman.2022.115706","volume":"319","author":"M Du","year":"2022","unstructured":"Du, M., Huang, C., & Chen, Z. (2022b). Evaluating the water-saving and wastewater-reducing effects of water rights trading pilots: Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment. Journal of Environmental Management, 319, 115706.","journal-title":"Journal of Environmental Management"},{"key":"5294_CR20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"111394","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jenvman.2020.111394","volume":"277","author":"M Du","year":"2021","unstructured":"Du, M., Liao, L., Wang, B., & Chen, Z. (2021). Evaluating the effectiveness of the water-saving society construction in China: A quasi-natural experiment. Journal of Environmental Management, 277, 111394.","journal-title":"Journal of Environmental Management"},{"key":"5294_CR21","volume-title":"Production frontiers","author":"R F\u00e4re","year":"1994","unstructured":"F\u00e4re, R., F\u00e8are, R., Grosskopf, S., & Lovell, C. K. (1994). Production frontiers. Cambridge University Press."},{"key":"5294_CR22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"97","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jup.2016.04.016","volume":"43","author":"G Ferro","year":"2016","unstructured":"Ferro, G., & Mercadier, A. C. (2016). Technical efficiency in Chile\u2019s water and sanitation providers. Utilities Policy, 43, 97\u2013106.","journal-title":"Utilities Policy"},{"key":"5294_CR23","unstructured":"Fisher, I. (1922).\u00a0The making of index numbers: A study of their varieties, tests, and reliability\u00a0(no. 1). Houghton Mifflin."},{"issue":"2","key":"5294_CR24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"245","DOI":"10.1080\/00036840500428054","volume":"39","author":"MA Garcia-Vali\u00f1as","year":"2007","unstructured":"Garcia-Vali\u00f1as, M. A., & Mu\u00f1iz, M. A. (2007). Is DEA useful in the regulation of water utilities? A dynamic efficiency evaluation (a dynamic efficiency evaluation of water utilities). Applied Economics, 39(2), 245\u2013252.","journal-title":"Applied Economics"},{"issue":"1","key":"5294_CR25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"83","DOI":"10.1162\/003355399555954","volume":"114","author":"RE Hall","year":"1999","unstructured":"Hall, R. E., & Jones, C. I. (1999). Why do some countries produce so much more output per worker than others? The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 114(1), 83\u2013116.","journal-title":"The Quarterly Journal of Economics"},{"key":"5294_CR26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"127","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jup.2017.05.003","volume":"49","author":"A Higuerey","year":"2017","unstructured":"Higuerey, A., Trujillo, L., & Gonz\u00e1lez, M. M. (2017). Has efficiency improved after the decentralization in the water industry in Venezuela? Utilities Policy, 49, 127\u2013136.","journal-title":"Utilities Policy"},{"issue":"4","key":"5294_CR27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"217","DOI":"10.1016\/j.resourpol.2007.02.001","volume":"31","author":"JL Hu","year":"2006","unstructured":"Hu, J. L., Wang, S. C., & Yeh, F. Y. (2006). Total-factor water efficiency of regions in China. Resources Policy, 31(4), 217\u2013230.","journal-title":"Resources Policy"},{"issue":"3","key":"5294_CR28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"321","DOI":"10.1007\/s11123-014-0411-1","volume":"44","author":"MY Huang","year":"2015","unstructured":"Huang, M. Y., Juo, J. C., & Fu, T. T. (2015). Metafrontier cost Malmquist productivity index: An application to Taiwanese and Chinese commercial banks. Journal of Productivity Analysis, 44(3), 321\u2013335.","journal-title":"Journal of Productivity Analysis"},{"issue":"29","key":"5294_CR29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"39471","DOI":"10.1007\/s11356-021-13276-z","volume":"28","author":"Y Li","year":"2021","unstructured":"Li, Y., Chiu, Y. H., Li, Y., Cen, H., & Lin, T. Y. (2021). Dynamic analysis of residential and enterprise water supply and leakage efficiencies. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 28(29), 39471\u201339492.","journal-title":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research"},{"key":"5294_CR30","first-page":"75","volume":"22","author":"X Lu","year":"2019","unstructured":"Lu, X., & Xu, C. (2019). The difference and convergence of total factor productivity of inter-provincial water resources in China based on three-stage DEA-Malmquist index model. Sustainable Computing: Informatics and Systems, 22, 75\u201383.","journal-title":"Sustainable Computing: Informatics and Systems"},{"issue":"01","key":"5294_CR31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1450007","DOI":"10.1142\/S0217595914500079","volume":"31","author":"YH Lu","year":"2014","unstructured":"Lu, Y. H., Chiu, Y. H., Chiu, C. R., & Hung, Y. C. (2014). Two-stage efficiency measurement and technological heterogeneity: Evidence from the biotechnological industry in Taiwan. Asia-Pacific Journal of Operational Research, 31(01), 1450007.","journal-title":"Asia-Pacific Journal of Operational Research"},{"issue":"2","key":"5294_CR32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"396","DOI":"10.1016\/S0377-2217(03)00177-2","volume":"154","author":"N Maniadakis","year":"2004","unstructured":"Maniadakis, N., & Thanassoulis, E. (2004). A cost Malmquist productivity index. European Journal of Operational Research, 154(2), 396\u2013409.","journal-title":"European Journal of Operational Research"},{"issue":"8","key":"5294_CR33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2407","DOI":"10.1007\/s11269-016-1395-6","volume":"31","author":"A Maziotis","year":"2017","unstructured":"Maziotis, A., Molinos-Senante, M., & Sala-Garrido, R. (2017). Assesing the impact of quality of service on the productivity of water industry: A Malmquist\u2013Luenberger approach for England and Wales. Water Resources Management, 31(8), 2407\u20132427.","journal-title":"Water Resources Management"},{"key":"5294_CR34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"31","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jup.2012.02.004","volume":"22","author":"D Mbuvi","year":"2012","unstructured":"Mbuvi, D., De Witte, K., & Perelman, S. (2012). Urban water sector performance in Africa: A step-wise bias-corrected efficiency and effectiveness analysis. Utilities Policy, 22, 31\u201340.","journal-title":"Utilities Policy"},{"key":"5294_CR35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1066","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jclepro.2016.07.057","volume":"137","author":"M Molinos-Senante","year":"2016","unstructured":"Molinos-Senante, M., G\u00e9mar, G., G\u00f3mez, T., Caballero, R., & Sala-Garrido, R. (2016). Eco-efficiency assessment of wastewater treatment plants using a weighted Russell directional distance model. Journal of Cleaner Production, 137, 1066\u20131075.","journal-title":"Journal of Cleaner Production"},{"key":"5294_CR36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"18","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jup.2014.07.001","volume":"30","author":"M Molinos-Senante","year":"2014","unstructured":"Molinos-Senante, M., Maziotis, A., & Sala-Garrido, R. (2014). The Luenberger productivity indicator in the water industry: An empirical analysis for England and Wales. Utilities Policy, 30, 18\u201328.","journal-title":"Utilities Policy"},{"key":"5294_CR37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jenvman.2017.03.023","volume":"197","author":"M Molinos-Senante","year":"2017","unstructured":"Molinos-Senante, M., Maziotis, A., & Sala-Garrido, R. (2017). Assessing the productivity change of water companies in England and Wales: A dynamic metafrontier approach. Journal of Environmental Management, 197, 1\u20139.","journal-title":"Journal of Environmental Management"},{"issue":"13","key":"5294_CR38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4309","DOI":"10.1007\/s11269-017-1748-9","volume":"31","author":"M Molinos-Senante","year":"2017","unstructured":"Molinos-Senante, M., & Sala-Garrido, R. (2017). Decomposition of productivity growth of water and sewerage companies: An empirical approach for Chile. Water Resources Management, 31(13), 4309\u20134321.","journal-title":"Water Resources Management"},{"issue":"2","key":"5294_CR39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"80","DOI":"10.1061\/(ASCE)1076-0342(2009)15:2(80)","volume":"15","author":"JW Norton Jr","year":"2009","unstructured":"Norton, J. W., Jr., & Weber, W. J., Jr. (2009). Water utility efficiency assessment using a data envelopment analysis procedure. Journal of Infrastructure Systems, 15(2), 80\u201387.","journal-title":"Journal of Infrastructure Systems"},{"issue":"2","key":"5294_CR40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"231","DOI":"10.1007\/s00181-007-0119-4","volume":"34","author":"CJ O\u2019Donnell","year":"2008","unstructured":"O\u2019Donnell, C. J., Rao, D. S., & Battese, G. E. (2008). Metafrontier frameworks for the study of firm-level efficiencies and technology ratios. Empirical Economics, 34(2), 231\u2013255.","journal-title":"Empirical Economics"},{"issue":"1","key":"5294_CR41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"10","DOI":"10.1016\/j.seps.2010.09.001","volume":"45","author":"JT Pastor","year":"2011","unstructured":"Pastor, J. T., Asmild, M., & Lovell, C. K. (2011). The biennial Malmquist productivity change index. Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, 45(1), 10\u201315.","journal-title":"Socio-Economic Planning Sciences"},{"issue":"5","key":"5294_CR42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"615","DOI":"10.1080\/00036840601007310","volume":"41","author":"AJ Picazo-Tadeo","year":"2009","unstructured":"Picazo-Tadeo, A. J., S\u00e1ez-Fern\u00e1ndez, F. J., & Gonz\u00e1lez-G\u00f3mez, F. (2009). The role of environmental factors in water utilities\u2019 technical efficiency. Empirical evidence from Spanish companies. Applied Economics, 41(5), 615\u2013628.","journal-title":"Applied Economics"},{"key":"5294_CR43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"86","DOI":"10.1016\/j.omega.2015.04.001","volume":"58","author":"C Pointon","year":"2016","unstructured":"Pointon, C., & Matthews, K. (2016). Dynamic efficiency in the English and Welsh water and sewerage industry. Omega, 58, 86\u201396.","journal-title":"Omega"},{"issue":"12","key":"5294_CR44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2173","DOI":"10.1057\/jors.2011.17","volume":"62","author":"MCAS Portela","year":"2011","unstructured":"Portela, M. C. A. S., Thanassoulis, E., Horncastle, A., & Maugg, T. (2011). Productivity change in the water industry in England and Wales: Application of the meta-Malmquist index. Journal of the Operational Research Society, 62(12), 2173\u20132188.","journal-title":"Journal of the Operational Research Society"},{"issue":"3","key":"5294_CR45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"202","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jup.2011.05.005","volume":"19","author":"G Romano","year":"2011","unstructured":"Romano, G., & Guerrini, A. (2011). Measuring and comparing the efficiency of water utility companies: A data envelopment analysis approach. Utilities Policy, 19(3), 202\u2013209.","journal-title":"Utilities Policy"},{"key":"5294_CR46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"97","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jup.2017.02.006","volume":"45","author":"G Romano","year":"2017","unstructured":"Romano, G., Molinos-Senante, M., & Guerrini, A. (2017). Water utility efficiency assessment in Italy by accounting for service quality: An empirical investigation. Utilities Policy, 45, 97\u2013108.","journal-title":"Utilities Policy"},{"issue":"1\u20132","key":"5294_CR47","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"127","DOI":"10.1007\/s11123-007-0040-z","volume":"28","author":"DS Saal","year":"2007","unstructured":"Saal, D. S., Parker, D., & Weyman-Jones, T. (2007). Determining the contribution of technical change, efficiency change and scale change to productivity growth in the privatized English and Welsh water and sewerage industry: 1985\u20132000. Journal of Productivity Analysis, 28(1\u20132), 127\u2013139.","journal-title":"Journal of Productivity Analysis"},{"issue":"7","key":"5294_CR48","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"626","DOI":"10.1080\/1573062X.2018.1529807","volume":"15","author":"R Sala-Garrido","year":"2018","unstructured":"Sala-Garrido, R., Molinos-Senante, M., & Mochol\u00ed-Arce, M. (2018). Assessing productivity changes in water companies: A comparison of the Luenberger and Luenberger\u2013Hicks\u2013Moorsteen productivity indicators. Urban Water Journal, 15(7), 626\u2013635.","journal-title":"Urban Water Journal"},{"key":"5294_CR49","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"125","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jup.2018.04.006","volume":"54","author":"KF See","year":"2018","unstructured":"See, K. F., & Ma, Z. (2018). Does non-revenue water affect Malaysia\u2019s water services industry productivity? Utilities Policy, 54, 125\u2013131.","journal-title":"Utilities Policy"},{"key":"5294_CR50","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"611","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jclepro.2018.02.259","volume":"184","author":"M Song","year":"2018","unstructured":"Song, M., Wang, R., & Zeng, X. (2018). Water resources utilization efficiency and influence factors under environmental restrictions. Journal of Cleaner Production, 184, 611\u2013621.","journal-title":"Journal of Cleaner Production"},{"key":"5294_CR51","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"136367","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scitotenv.2019.136367","volume":"713","author":"Y Sun","year":"2020","unstructured":"Sun, Y., Ding, W., Yang, Z., Yang, G., & Du, J. (2020). Measuring China\u2019s regional inclusive green growth. Science of the Total Environment, 713, 136367.","journal-title":"Science of the Total Environment"},{"key":"5294_CR52","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"264","DOI":"10.1016\/j.watres.2017.11.036","volume":"129","author":"Q Ye","year":"2018","unstructured":"Ye, Q., Li, Y., Zhuo, L., Zhang, W., Xiong, W., Wang, C., & Wang, P. (2018). Optimal allocation of physical water resources integrated with virtual water trade in water scarce regions: A case study for Beijing, China. Water Research, 129, 264\u2013276.","journal-title":"Water Research"},{"key":"5294_CR53","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"533","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jclepro.2018.02.278","volume":"185","author":"X Zhou","year":"2018","unstructured":"Zhou, X., Luo, R., Yao, L., Cao, S., Wang, S., & Lev, B. (2018). Assessing integrated water use and wastewater treatment systems in China: A mixed network structure two-stage SBM DEA model. Journal of Cleaner Production, 185, 533\u2013546.","journal-title":"Journal of Cleaner Production"},{"key":"5294_CR54","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"118169","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jclepro.2019.118169","volume":"240","author":"Z Zhou","year":"2019","unstructured":"Zhou, Z., Wu, H., & Song, P. (2019). Measuring the resource and environmental efficiency of industrial water consumption in China: A non-radial directional distance function. Journal of Cleaner Production, 240, 118169.","journal-title":"Journal of Cleaner Production"},{"issue":"1","key":"5294_CR55","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"97","DOI":"10.1007\/s11123-014-0407-x","volume":"44","author":"M Zschille","year":"2015","unstructured":"Zschille, M. (2015). Consolidating the water industry: An analysis of the potential gains from horizontal integration in a conditional efficiency framework. Journal of Productivity Analysis, 44(1), 97\u2013114.","journal-title":"Journal of Productivity Analysis"}],"container-title":["Annals of Operations Research"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1007\/s10479-023-05294-6.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s10479-023-05294-6","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1007\/s10479-023-05294-6.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,3]],"date-time":"2026-01-03T08:37:57Z","timestamp":1767429477000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/10.1007\/s10479-023-05294-6"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,23]]},"references-count":55,"journal-issue":{"issue":"2","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,12]]}},"alternative-id":["5294"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s10479-023-05294-6","relation":{},"ISSN":["0254-5330","1572-9338"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0254-5330","type":"print"},{"value":"1572-9338","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,23]]},"assertion":[{"value":"13 March 2023","order":1,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"23 March 2023","order":2,"name":"first_online","label":"First Online","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"order":1,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Declarations"}},{"value":"The authors declare no competing interests.","order":2,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Conflict of interest"}}]}}