Abstract
Promoting the rise of Central China is one of the most important national strategies regarding the promotion of China’s economic development. However, the environmental issues in the central regions have become remarkably severe. It is therefore worthwhile exploring how economic development and environmental protection can be coordinated. Focusing on the 29 prefecture-level cities in the Central Plains Urban Agglomeration, the authors empirically analyze the relationship between the economy and the environment from 2004 to 2014. The combined methods of the spatial autocorrelation model, the environmental Kuznets curve, and the global spatial correlation test are systematically employed. The results show that: (1) a strong spatial correlation exists between industrial wastewater discharge, industrial sulfur dioxide, and dust emissions in the Central Plains Urban Agglomeration; (2) the relationship between the economy and the environment of this urban agglomeration reveals an inverted “U” curve, which confirms the classical environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis. Industrial dust emissions have surpassed the inflection point of the Kuznets curve, but its spatial spillover effect still remains strong. This is caused by an accumulation effect and a lag effect; (3) the proportion of the secondary industry and population has a strong positive effect on pollution discharge; investments in science and technology have a certain inhibitory effect on industrial sulfur dioxide emission. Moreover, an increase in the number of industrial enterprises has a negative effect on industrial wastewater emission. At the end, the authors put forward policy recommendations regarding the establishment of a joint supervisory department and unified environmental standards at the regional level to deal with the spillover effects of pollution.
Highlights
In 2016, China’s State Council approved the Development Plan for Central Plains Urban Agglomeration
We find that economic development and environmental pollution in the Central Plains Urban Agglomeration (CPUA) may well be positively correlated
The spatial autocorrelation (SAC) model and environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) theory were used to map the relationship between economic growth and environmental pollution in accordance with the global spatial correlation test
Summary
In 2016, China’s State Council approved the Development Plan for Central Plains Urban Agglomeration. Central Plains Urban Agglomeration (CPUA) has been officially enacted as a national-level urban agglomeration. The Development Plan for the CPUA issued by the National Development and Reform Commission in December 2016, the CPUA is located in Central China, covering 30 prefecture-level cities in the provinces Henan, Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong, and Anhui (Figure 1). Its GDP reached 5.56 trillion Yuan, ranking the fourth among China’s urban agglomerations, immediately behind Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, and Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region. The central plains refers to the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, including the most parts of Henan Province, the southern part of Hebei Province, the southern part of Shanxi Province, the east of Shaanxi province, and the west of Shandong province. As one of the most important economic growth poles, the CPUA is significant in boosting the rise of Central China and spreading economic development further to the central–western regions
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
