Spatial coupling analysis of regional economic development and environmental pollution in China

• Published in: Journal of geographical sciences Vol. 23; no. 3; pp. 525 - 537
• Main Authors: Ma, Li, Jin, Fengjun, Song, Zhouying, Liu, Yi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg SP Science Press 01-06-2013; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Asia; Bgi / Prodig; China; Coal mining; Earth and Environmental Science; Economic development; Economics; Electricity; Electricity generation; Electronic equipment; Geographical Information Systems/Cartography; Geography; Human geography; Manufacturing; Metallurgy; Nature Conservation; Physical Geography; Pollution; Remote Sensing/Photogrammetry; Spatial analysis; Structural analysis; 中国境内; 区域经济发展; 工业部门; 有色金属冶金; 环境污染; 空间关系; 经济与环境; 耦合分析; China; China, People's Rep; degree of coupling and coordination; regional economy; industrial sector structure characteristics; environmental pollution; spatial pattern; Atmospheric pollution; Regional economy; Pollution; Regional development; Industrial structure; Industrial sector; Economic development; Industrial pollution
• ISSN: 1009-637X; 1861-9568
• DOI: 10.1007/s11442-013-1026-6

Given the great number of studies focusing on the temporal interaction between economic and environmental subsystems, it is useful to perform a quantitative spatial as- sessment of these subsystems. In this paper, comprehensive assessment indicators for re- gional economic development and environmental pollution subsystems are constructed. Then the degree of coupling and coordination of the regional economy-environment system is calculated for 350 prefectural units in China. It is found that the economic development and environmental pollution in most prefectural units is still at a low level of coupling and coordi- nation. According to the coupling and coordination values, the Chinese territory can be di- vided into four types of area： economy-environment harmonious area, economy-environ- ment gearing area, economy-environment rivaling area and low coupling degree of econ- omy-environment area. Based on a structural analysis of the industrial sector in the four types of areas, there is a spatial relationship between the regional industrial sector structure and the coupling-coordination level. In the economy-environment harmonious area, the sectors of manufacturing of high-technology and high value-added products, such as com- munications, computer and electronic equipment, transport equipment and electrical ma- chinery, account for a large proportion of the value of local industrial output. The industrial value of the economy-environment gearing area is concentrated on the manufacturing of machinery and equipment, and. contains a few polluting sectors such as ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, chemical manufacturing and electricity generation. The econ- omy-environment rivaling area is the type of area where polluting sectors concentrate, such as iron and steel, petrifaction, coal mining, building materials and electricity generation. In the low coupling degree of economy-environment area, its industry is concentrated on the pro- duction and processing of primary products.