Abstract
Population is one of the key problematic factors that are restricting China’s economic and social development. Previous studies have used nighttime light (NTL) imagery to calculate population density. This study analyzes the spatiotemporal evolution of the population in Northeast China based on linear regression analyses of NPP-VIIRS NTL imagery and statistical population data from 36 cities in Northeast China from 2012 to 2017. Based on a comparison of the estimation results in different years, we observed the following. (1) The population of Northeast China showed an overall decreasing trend from 2012–2017, with population changes of +31,600, −960,800, −359,800, −188,000, and −1,127,600 in the respective years. (2) With the overall population loss trend in Northeast China, the population increased in only three cities, namely, Shenyang, Dalian, and Panjin, with an average increase during the six-year period of 24,200, 6,500, and 2,000 people, respectively. (3) The four major urban agglomerations in Northeast China (the Harbin-Daqing-Qiqihar Industrial Corridor, Changjitu Pilot Zone, Liaoning Coastal Economic Belt, and Shenyang Economic Zone) have annual populations far exceeding 4 million people. A correct appreciation of the population dynamics is vital to resource management and comprehensive management efforts. Making full use of natural resources and regional advantages could effectively improve and potentially solve the urban population loss problem and would be of great innovative significance for supporting the realization of the Millennium Development Goals.
Highlights
Population is the precursor to social developments of humankind, and it has a significant impact on social development trends
After extracting the digital number (DN) of the nighttime light (NTL) pixels, we found that certain data were missing in the April and August images
Based on the results of previous studies that computed population sizes by using NTL data [45], we performed a linear correlation analysis of NTL DN values and statistical population data to estimate the population of 36 cities in Northeast China
Summary
Population is the precursor to social developments of humankind, and it has a significant impact on social development trends. With the rapid economic development of coastal areas, shifts in population have become even more apparent. The population of Northeast China maintained a rapid growth rate. Is significant loss of human resources has impeded the development and revitalization of the regional economy. Population flow can indicate the level of regional economic development. Different studies have shown that reasonable shifts in population are essential for regulating the population distribution and balancing regional economic development [3,4,5,6,7,8]. Making full use of natural resources and regional advantages can effectively improve and solve the urban population loss problem and is of great innovative
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