Abstract
The relationship between urbanization and the ecological environment is not conclusive in the literature. We used the provincial data from China from 1998 to 2019 to empirically study the relationship between the urbanization ratio and ecological environment which is proxied by the NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index) from the remote sensing data. The results indicate that the coefficient of the interaction between urbanization and per capita GDP is statistically significant and negative (−0.0946), while the coefficient of urbanization itself is very trivial and not statistically significant. It implies that urbanization could reduce ecological quality, particularly for the high-income regions. The higher the urbanization ratio is, the larger the negative impact is. It implies that urban expansion does reduce the ecological environment. The effect of economic development level on the NDVI can be divided into three stages: the one where the NDVI improves with the increase of GDP per capita (urbanization rate of less than 77.59%), the one where the value of the NDVI is not affected by the level of GDP per capita (urbanization rate equal to 77.59%), and the one where the NDVI decreases with the increase of GDP per capita (urbanization rate of more than 77.59%).
Highlights
The impact of urbanization on the ecological environment is inconclusive in the literature
Urbanization in China has led to a large improvement in infrastructure and public service facilities in rural areas, and it is of great practical significance to attract young laborers to work in cities and increase farmers’
We used the provincial data from China between 1998 and 2019 to empirically study the relationship between urbanization ratio and ecological environment which is proxied by NDVI from the remote sensing data
Summary
The impact of urbanization on the ecological environment is inconclusive in the literature. On the one hand, when people migrate to urban areas, the land resources in rural areas could be consolidated and more efficiently used, e.g., increasing farm size and reducing housing land size. Urban expansion and urban problems, such as pollution and congestion, could reduce the regional ecological environment. New-type Urbanization Plan”, issued by the State Council of the Central Committee of. Clearly states that urbanization is the necessary method to achieve modernization. Urbanization in China has led to a large improvement in infrastructure and public service facilities in rural areas, and it is of great practical significance to attract young laborers to work in cities and increase farmers’
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