Burning Ban Research Articles

From ban to balance: How agricultural climate policies reshape rural asset allocation?

Environmental regulation on climate risk for promoting sustainable development is an important research topic that requires further attention. In response to the increasing awareness of agricultural climate and environmental protection, the implementation of the straw burning ban policy has been adopted in China. To gain a deeper understanding of the implications and effectiveness of the straw burning ban policy on rural households assets allocation behaviors, and this study utilizes China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) during 2010 to 2018 and employs the Difference-in-Differences (DID) estimation strategy to identify the causal effect. Accordingly, we draw several empirical findings. First, the straw burning ban policy has a significant impact on the assets allocation behaviors of rural households, leading to an increase in both risk and non-risk assets. Specifically, a preference for risky investments strongly exist following the occurrence of the straw burning shock. Second, we reveal significant reductions in the number of farmers and farming production costs, including expenses related to irrigation, seeds, and land usage. Conversely, we observe a significant increase in land renting and farmer machinery leasing activities. These effects are found to change the income patterns and thus affect household assets allocation behaviors. Third, the straw burning ban policy has a significant decline impact on household expenditures, specifically in total and housing expenditures, while welfare expenditure shows a positive increase as the preventive motivation. Finally, rural households affected by straw burning ban policy are significantly induced to increase allocation in short-term saving and non-financing assets, as well as in financing fixed-assets and financial investments.

Exploring Spatiotemporal Characteristics and Driving Forces of Straw Burning in Hunan Province, China, from 2010 to 2020

Straw burning is a significant source of atmospheric pollutants, releasing particulate matter and trace gases. Capturing the characteristics of straw burning and understanding its influencing factors are important prerequisites for regulating straw burning. Based on the fire points detected by the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) in Hunan province, China, from 2010 to 2020, this study analyzed the spatiotemporal variations of straw burning and employed Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) models to investigate the underlying forces driving straw burning. The results show that the spatiotemporal characteristics of straw burning in Hunan Province can be categorized into two distinct periods: 2010 to 2014 and 2015 to 2020. The period from 2010 to 2014 witnessed a rapid increase, while the period from 2015 to 2020 experienced fluctuating decreases. The shift is closely linked to the implementation of the straw burning ban policy in 2015. Spatially, the areas with a high number of fire points are primarily located in the southern regions, especially in the border regions between Chenzhou, Yongzhou, Hengyang, and Shaoyang cities. A significant change was found in the impact of economic development and human activity factors on straw burning before and after 2015. These factors include crop yield, Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and road network development. From the implementation of the straw burning ban policy, increases in GDP and settlement density will have a dampening effect on straw burning in a region. Straw burning locations may shift towards regions with relatively slow economic development. The results could serve as a foundation for decision-making to address the issue of straw burning.

Accelerated reduction in China's cropland fires against the background of policy enhancement

Cropland fires contribute significantly to the emission of air pollutants, with implications for the atmospheric environment, public health, and climate change. However, the development of cropland fires in response to straw burning policy interventions has not been fully explored. With the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer Collection 6 (MODIS C6) active fire products and China land-cover data (CLCD), counts and fire radiative power (FRP) of cropland fire spots were extracted in China from 2003 to 2022, followed by analyses of their spatiotemporal patterns and evolutionary characteristics at the provincial, regional, national, and grid (0.25° × 0.25°) levels and at monthly to annual scales via trend analysis, kernel density analysis, and geographic distribution analysis. The key findings include: (1) National policies banning straw burning reversed the changes in the quantity and intensity of China's cropland fires in 2013, with the frequency and FRP in 2022 declining by 58% and 62% compared with the 2014 peak. (2) Cropland fires were highly prevalent in Northeast and North China (NEC and NC), with significant regional differences, particularly in spring, summer and autumn. (3) A notable lag effect of burning ban policies was seen in Northeast China, where the increasing trends of the frequency and intensity of cropland fires were not reversed until 2017, followed by declines in frequency and FRP of 67% and 62%, respectively during 2017–2022. (4) Cropland fires showed an increasing concentration trend but with enormous regional differences, with an increasing trend of a “high-high” concentration pattern in NEC and a decreasing trend in NC. This study contributes to understanding the effectiveness of national policies that ban straw burning and support cropland fire management and policy-making.

Moving towards plantation: The impact of non-burning agricultural policy on land use and farmers' income in Pulang Pisau Regency, Central Kalimantan

Farmers in Central Kalimantan are accustomed to using fire in a limited and controlled way to clear the land before cultivation. This slash-and-burn was initially legal under Governor's Decree No. 52/2008 until it was completely banned following the major fires in 2015. This study examines the effects of the fire ban on land use and farmers' revenue in the Pulang Pisau regency. Data was collected through interviews and field observations. Respondents were selected from two villages, namely Talio Muara (transmigration village) and Pangkoh Hulu (native village), with 15 respondents for each village. In Talio Muara, there was a remarkable change in land utilization: agricultural land decreased by -44%, plantation land increased by 20%, and unmanaged land increased by 24%. In Pangkoh Hulu, the agricultural land decreased by -20%, while the plantation land increased by 17% and the unmanaged land increased by 3%. Farmers' revenue from land utilization in Talio Muara village decreased by -8% in 2017 compared to 2014, while in Pangkoh Hulu village increased by 13% in the same period. These results indicate that local farmers have adapted better to the burning ban than the transmigrants.

Estimation of mercury uptake and distinction of corn cultivation in China

Corn cultivation potentially plays a vital role in the global mercury (Hg) biogeochemical cycle. Nevertheless, there have been limited studies quantifying the Hg mass flow during corn cultivation. This study focuses on Hg uptake by corn plants in China, integrating data from both sample collection and prior studies, resulting in 400 datasets. The findings reveal that the Hg in corn plants is mainly incorporated in leaves (45.5 %–47.5 %) and husks (14.5 %–15.7 %). Despite a decrease in total gaseous Hg (TGM) concentrations in the atmosphere over time, annual Hg uptake by corn cultivation in China has risen from 72.0 (ranging from 47.6 to 96.3) tons (2009–2014) to 84.3 (ranging from 51.9 to 109.6) tons (2015–2020) due to the increasing in corn kernel production. Spatial analysis demonstrates regional disparities in Hg uptake, primarily influenced by corn kernel production, TGM levels, and soil Hg content. Furthermore, temporal analysis reveals a shift in the fate of Hg in corn plants, which can be attributed to variations in corn straw treatment policy or methods. From 2009 to 2014, a substantial amount of absorbed Hg by corn plants was re-released into the atmosphere (48.9 %) due to corn residues burning, whereas, between 2015 and 2020, a greater proportion of Hg ended up accumulating in the soil (51.1 %) after the imposition of the straw burning ban in China. Prior to the ban (2009–2014), corn cultivation contributed approximately 7.7 tons of Hg input to soil annually, with a range from 1.7 to 13.5. However, following the ban (2015–2020), Hg input into the soil increased by approximately 4.5 times, reaching 34.5 (ranging from 17.5 to 52.6) tons per year. These findings emphasize the significant risks associated with soil Hg pollution caused by corn cultivation due to the straw burning ban.

The evolution of open biomass burning during summer crop harvest in the North China Plain

Open biomass burning (OBB) negatively impacts air quality by discharging abundant fine particulate matter (PM2.5, aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 µm) and trace gases. The statistical methods and numerical simulations have been used to estimate emissions from OBB. The former is poor in producing reliable distributions and transport of emissions, while studies with the latter have focused on cases analysis over short periods. This study investigates the multi-year evaluation of OBB and its contribution to PM2.5 and black carbon (BC) based on satellite observations and numerical modeling over the North China Plain. The number of fires increased by 206% from 2008 to 2012, and decreased by 84% from 2012 to 2016, indicating that the implementation of straw burning ban policy had achieved significant positive effects. The simulation from Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with chemistry showed that the surface concentrations of PM2.5 and BC emitted by OBB in the burning source area increased from 22 and 3.22 μg/m3, respectively, in 2008 to 45.77 and 6.47 μg/m3, respectively, in 2012, and then decreased to 1.41 and 0.22 μg/m3, respectively, in 2016. The differentiated impacts on air quality of policies across provinces are also investigated. Open crop straw burning was banned early in Shandong and Henan provinces, but they suffer from poor air quality due to open straw burning until the effective straw burning ban in Anhui and Jiangsu provinces, which suggests the need for interregional collaboration for pollution control.

Development of current and future high-resolution gridded emission inventory of anthropogenic air pollutants for urban air quality studies in Hanoi, Vietnam

A high-resolution (1 km × 1 km) emission inventory was developed for Hanoi for 2017 and 2018. The total annual emissions of PM2.5, BC, OC, NOx, SO2, NMVOC, NH3, CH4, and CO were 14.9, 1.6, 2.9, 56.7, 19.1, 109.2, 23.0, 37.9, and 472.7 Gg, respectively. Transportation, industry, and agriculture contributed 89.1%, 92.2%, and 81.3% to the total emissions of PM2.5, BC, and OC, respectively. Transportation contributed 72.4%, 52.1%, and 72.5% to the emissions of NOx, NMVOC, and CO, respectively. Industry contributed 64.9% to the emissions of SO2. Agriculture was a major source of NH3 and CH4, contributing 84.2% and 76.6%, respectively. Future emissions of select sectors were estimated for 2030. The emissions from transportation can increase in the range of 26.9% (CH4) to 245.8% (NH3), despite the consideration of the EURO 5 standard. For domestic cooking, transitioning from coal to liquefied petroleum gas can help reduce the emissions of most pollutants in the range of 10.4% (NH3) to 52.6% (OC), except NOx and NMVOC. The crop residue burning (CRB) ban could reduce emissions in the range of 0.27 Gg (SO2) to 138.4 Gg (CO) in 2030, respectively. The study can help policy-makers to develop strategies for air pollution mitigation in developing economies such as Hanoi.

Estimation of hospital visits for respiratory diseases attributable to PM10 from vegetation fire smoke and health impacts of regulatory intervention in Upper Northern Thailand

The air quality in Upper Northern Thailand (UNT) deteriorates during seasonal vegetation fire events, causing adverse effects especially on respiratory health outcomes. This study aimed to quantitatively estimate respiratory morbidity from vegetation fire smoke exposure, and to assess the impact of a burning ban enforced in 2016 on morbidity burden in UNT. We computed daily population exposure to fire-originated PM10 and estimated its health burden during a 5-year period from 2014 to 2018 using daily fire-originated PM10 concentration and the concentration–response function for short-term exposure to PM10 from vegetation fire smoke and respiratory morbidity. In subgroups classified as children and older adults, the health burden of respiratory morbidity was estimated using specific effect coefficients from previous studies conducted in UNT. Finally, we compared the health burden of respiratory morbidity before and after burning ban enforcement. Approximately 130,000 hospital visits for respiratory diseases were estimated to be attributable to fire-originated PM10 in UNT from 2014 to 2018. This estimation accounted for 1.3% of total hospital visits for respiratory diseases during the 5-year period, and 20% of those during burning events. Age-specific estimates revealed a larger impact of PM10 in the older adult group. The number of hospital visits for respiratory diseases attributable to fire-originated PM10 decreased from 1.8% to 0.5% after the burning ban policy was implemented in the area. Our findings suggest that PM10 released from vegetation fires is a health burden in UNT. The prohibition of the burning using regulatory measure had a positive impact on respiratory morbidity in this area.

Carbonaceous gas and aerosol emissions from biomass burning in China from 2012 to 2021

Open biomass burning (OBB) has significant impacts on air pollution, human health, and climate change. In recent years, the issue of OBB has been the subject of increasing research. However, the emissions of carbonaceous gases and aerosols (CGA) from OBB have received less attention, and the spatiotemporal characteristics and emissions of CGA remain poorly understood. In this study, an optimized Fire Radiative Power (FRP) algorithm was used to estimate the emissions of CGA from OBB in China. Then the spatiotemporal characteristics of CGA emissions from OBB across China from 2012 to 2021 were assessed. The results show that the annual average emissions of CGA in China from 2012 to 2021 were 239.74 Mt. The spatial distribution of CGA from OBB in China is concentrated in the Northeast, North, Southwest, and East regions. Across the study period, the trend of total national emissions was first increasing then decreasing, with a maximum in 2014, and a minimum in 2018. Emissions of CGA between 2012 and 2021 were dominated by the combustion of residues in agricultural land, which accounted for 50–65% of total CGA emissions. Crop residues open field burning and burning ban were also the main reason for the sharp increase of CGA in 2014 and dramatically reduced to a minimum in 2018. The study provides new insights into OBB and carbon neutrality. The results provide valuable information for stakeholders, allowing for the implementation of effective regional policies to reduce emissions of CGA in China.

Effect of a vegetation fire event ban on hospital visits for respiratory diseases in Upper Northern Thailand.

Upper Northern Thailand (UNT) has been episodically affected by air pollution from vegetation burning, which causes adverse respiratory health effects. However, no study has evaluated the effect of regulatory actions to prohibit vegetation burning on respiratory morbidity. We examined the effect of a burning ban enforced in May 2016 on hospital visits for respiratory diseases in UNT. This study used data from eight provinces in UNT. Analyses were conducted for January to April of 2014-2016 (before ban enforcement) and January to April of 2017-2018 (after ban enforcement). Particulate matter of 10 microns in diameter or smaller (PM10) concentrations, numbers of satellite fire hotspots and age-standardized rates of hospital visits for respiratory diseases before and after ban enforcement were compared. The effect of the ban on hospital visits for respiratory diseases was evaluated using an interrupted time-series analysis controlled for season-specific temporal trends, day of week, public holiday, temperature, relative humidity, number of hospitals and offset population, with gastrointestinal diseases as a negative control. A meta-analysis was performed to pool province-specific effect estimates. The daily average PM10 concentration and the number of fire hotspots decreased after ban enforcement in all provinces in UNT, with percent changes ranging from 5.3 to 34.3% and 14.3 to 81.5%, respectively. The adjusted pooled effect estimates of hospital visits for respiratory diseases decreased by 9.1% (95% CI: 5.1, 12.9), whereas a null association was observed for gastrointestinal diseases. The burning ban had a positive impact on both air pollution levels and rates of hospital visits for respiratory diseases in UNT.

Impacts of post-harvest open biomass burning and burning ban policy on severe haze in the Northeastern China.

Open filed biomass burning is a major contributor to airborne particulate matter and reactive trace gases during the post-harvest season in the Northeastern China. Due to prevailing weather conditions and high emission density, this region is prone to the accumulation of air pollutants that often leads to severe haze events. In this study, we combined satellite and ground observations, and a regional air quality modeling system to quantify the contribution of open biomass burning to surface PM2.5 (particulate matter with diameter less than 2.5 µm) concentrations during a severe haze episode. During this period (November 1st - 4th, 2015), the average PM2.5 concentrations in Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning provinces reached 116.98μg/m3, 98.60μg/m3, and 70.17μg/m3 respectively. Model simulations showed that open biomass burning contributed to 52.7% of PM2.5 concentrations over Northeast China. Using the differences in active fire spots as detected by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suites (VIIRS) aboard the Suomi-NPP, we estimated that the burning ban enforced in 2018 have caused the PM2.5 concentrations to decrease from the 2015 level by 67.10%, 53.23%, and 10.06% in the Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning provinces respectively. Over the region, the burning ban proved to be effective in reducing fire emissions and lowering region-wide PM2.5 concentration by 48.1% during the post-harvest season.

Punishing and rewarding: How do policy measures affect crop straw use by farmers? An empirical analysis of Jiangsu Province of China

Crop straw is the most important source of domestic energy in rural areas of many developing countries. However, as household income grows, rural residents begin to disuse crop straw, leading to a serious pollution and waste of biomass resources. This paper empirically examines the effect of public policy on crop straw use in the case of Jiangsu Province of China. Policy measures, such as burning ban and incentive programs for comprehensive use of crop straw, have important implication for rural energy supply and sustainable development of agriculture. Our results show that the burning ban has reduced crop straw burning in open field dramatically and driven farmers to retain straw into soil in sample areas. Straw retention subsidy, however, seems to play an insignificant role as the subsidy was low and not directly delivered to farmers. Moreover, crop straw markets in Jiangsu are inactive due partially to high cost of collecting and transporting crop straw, which may impose a big chanellge for straw-based energy plants that require larger scale and stable supply of crop straw. Our findings provide critical knowledge on designing and reforming current programs for crop straw management.

Evaluation of Straw Open Burning Prohibition Effect on Provincial Air Quality during October and November 2018 in Jilin Province

Generally, the period (i.e., October and November) was seriously affected by frequent atmospheric pollution under concentrative seasonal crop residue burning and coal burning in Jilin Province, Northeast China. A strict straw open burning ban policy was implemented in Jilin Province during October and November 2018. However, the quantitative effect of straw fire control and its effect on air quality are still unclear. In this study, using multisource data, we evaluated the status of straw-burning control and its contribution to air quality improvement in late autumn and early winter (i.e., October and November) of 2018 at a provincial level. The results showed that the open burning of straw was effectively controlled in October and November 2018 by comparing farmland fire point data to those collected in 2015–2017. There were significant positive correlations among the fire points, aerosol optical depth (AOD), and ground-monitored air quality index (AQI) on a spatial scale. The concentration values of AQI, PM2.5, and PM10 were significantly lower than for the other three years of 2015, 2016, and 2017. Based on meteorological analysis, similar conditions were found in 2018 and 2017, which were worse than that in 2016. Combined with emissions, meteorological conditions, and source apportionment information, if the straw-burning control of 2018 had been performed in 2016 and 2017, the PM2.5 concentrations could have been reduced by at least 30.6%. These results suggest the necessity of straw burning control in the improvement of air quality during the period of late autumn and early winter. Nevertheless, the comprehensive impact of straw-burning control on air quality should be further evaluated for the whole post-harvest period (i.e., October to April of the following year) as the straw-burning period can be postponed in some cities. Furthermore, the establishment of a scientific and reasonable planned burning of straw is also crucial in gradually reducing atmospheric pollution and the actual operation of local governments in those areas where straw can be burned under certain conditions.

Interventions to reduce ambient particulate matter air pollution and their effect on health.

Interventions to reduce ambient particulate matter air pollution and their effect on health.

Urban residents' willingness to pay for corn straw burning ban in Henan, China: Application of payment card

Abstract Urban air pollution generated from straw open burning after the harvest seasons in China has been one of the significant problems interfering with the city's proper functioning. This paper applied contingent valuation in a face to face survey to assess the individual willingness of urban residents in Henan, China to pay for corn straw burning ban to policy makers. Such assessments are important for policy makers to determine the investment and policy instruments for regulating environmental impacts of straw open burning. To investigate the determinants of the stated willingness to pay (WtP) a sample of 1890 urban residents in Henan, China was selected. The study used Tobit model. About 62% of respondents stated that they were willing to pay. The expected WtP was about 76.72 Chinese Yuan (RMB) per person per year for the total respondents and 142.70 RMB per person per year for observations with positive WtP bids. Aggregate value was between 3.41 and 3.90 billion RMB indicating that corn straw burning ban is of considerable economic value to Henan. Results from the study show that the experience of environmental protection, expenditure on protecting health from air pollution, influence of straw burning on respondent's health, life, work, household income, education, job place, and family size were significant variables explaining WtP. The results of the study will be useful for policy makers when making up their mind how much funds should be invested and what kinds of policy instruments could be suitable for banning straw burning.

Burning in agricultural landscapes: an emerging natural and human issue in China

Burning is one of the most widely used methods for removing crop residues during harvest seasons. It cleans fields faster and costs less in comparison to other residue removal methods. Agricultural burning, however, has been recently limited or banned during harvest seasons in China, mainly due to the air quality and human health concerns raised from its use. This paper reviews recent studies on the burning of agricultural landscapes in China to understand the natural (environmental and ecological) and human (economic and social) impacts and identifies uncertainties, gaps, and future research needs. The total annual crop straw output in China is more than 600 billon kg, with about 110, 130, and 230 billion kg coming from rice, wheat, and corn, respectively. Agricultural burning removes about one-fourth of total crop straw and emits about 140–240, 1.6–2.2, and 0.5–0.14 billion kg of CO2, PM2.5, and black carbon, respectively. Agricultural burning accounts for upto half of the total PM10 concentrations in the major burning regions during harvesting periods. Burning emissions contribute to regional haze and smog events. Therefore, limiting or banning agricultural burning is a necessary measure for reducing air pollution in China. The estimations of total burned crop straw amounts and emission factors are the major uncertainty sources for emission estimates. More studies are needed to better describe the smoke plume rise, dispersion, and interactions with weather and climate and to simulate the ecological impacts of agricultural burning. Effective alternatives need to be explored in order to provide solutions for farmers to remove agricultural residues in the wake of the burning ban.

Comparative Health Risks of Domestic Waste Combustion in Urban and Rural Slovakia

This paper addresses the health risk incurred by two alternative waste management schemes: open burning of household waste in barrels practiced in rural Slovakia and controlled municipal waste combustion in the city of Bratislava. Using agricultural land use data and village population data we formulate three prototype villages, each representing about one-third of the rural population. The two configurations of the controlled combustion are an outdated municipal waste incinerator (MWI) and a modern waste-to-energy (WTE) plant equipped with modern air pollution control devices. These configurations actually exist(ed) in Bratislava, Slovakia at the same site, but in different time frames. The CALPUFF model provides direct exposure data and the EMERAM software (developed in this paper) computes indirect exposure. A major source of uncertainty is that of the fraction of waste burned in the open. The analysis presented here assumed 10%. At this level, the cancer risk from open burning ranges from 10 to 80 times the commonly regarded de minimus value of one in a million. This means that underthe U.S. contemporary regulatory culture, some regulatory action to control or enforce the burning ban would be expected. Cancer risks from the incinerator ranged from 7 to 371 in a million while the WTE risks were below 1 in a million. Cancer risks from open burning are higher than those of the WTE plant and at the same time affect a larger portion of concerned population.

The impact of an air quality advisory program on voluntary mobile source air pollution reduction

Air pollution from mobile source emissions is a major cause of air quality degradation in the Denver, Colorado, metropolitan area. The projected increase in both population and vehicle miles driven, coupled with the high altitude, predominantly clear skies, and prevalent wintertime temperature inversions aid in the formation and retention of pollutants. The Colorado Department of Public Health issues an air quality advisory daily during the high pollution season (November 1–March 31) with the objective of improving air quality through voluntary driving restrictions and a mandatory wood burning ban. We hypothesized that the advisory had no effect on commuter behavior due to lack of awareness and understanding, lack of alternative means of travel, or lack of concern. We mailed an anonymous, self-administered survey to 1000 commuters living in the cities of Boulder and Westminster, Colorado. Despite the fact that the vast majority of the respondents were aware of the daily advisory (94%), understood what it meant (93%), and heard the posting at least once a day (71%) in time to choose alternative forms of transportation, the advisory did not alter commuter travel. Commuters traveled mainly as the sole occupant of a car and most (76%) never changed the way they commuted based on the daily advisory. Many claimed schedules or work locations did not allow them to use alternative transportation methods. We suggested a practical way to improve the advisory would be to reduce or eliminate public transit fares on poor air quality days.

Empirical Evaluation of Environmental Preferences: A Case Study

In the eyes of environmentally concerned citizens, Oregon has set a splendid example. Their “bottle bill” was instrumental in reducing can and bottle litter on beaches, highways, and recreational and camping sites by 49 percent. A field burning ban becomes effective in 1975 to protect air quality. Legislation enacted in 1972 will remove billboards from its highways and interstate roads by 1975. A regulation to protect 820,000 acres of wilderness area from development was also adopted in 1972. Last year (1973) senators Robert Packwood and Mark Hatfield of Oregon and senators Frank Church and James McClure of Idaho jointly introduced a bill in the U.S. Senate to create a unique Hells Canyon National Recreation Area.