Geographic Interdependencies Research Articles

The role of geographic distances in green industrial pilot policies evaluation: A sustainability transition perspective.

Green industrial policies (GIPs) aim to promote the adoption ofgreen technology within a sustainability framework. While previous evaluations of GIP have focused more on the policy itself and the impacts within the policy boundaries, this paper further introduces the geographical factor to analyze the impact of different spatial geographic distances on implementing GIP. By integrating geographic distances into a spatial difference-in-differences analysis to assess the effects of municipal green industry policies (referred to as green industry pilot policies in this paper) enacted in 11 cities in China from 2006 to 2010, we find that these policies not only improve environmental and economic outcomes in targeted regions but also have spillover effects that may affect neighboring areas negatively, highlighting the importance of geographic considerations. The effectiveness of green industrial policies varies across cities, influenced by local socio-technical systems and regional characteristics such as infrastructure and information technology. These findings suggest that policy impacts are complex and multifaceted, requiring a comprehensive understanding of geographic interdependencies. By incorporating geographic factors, this research contributes to sustainability transition theory by offering insights into the spatial and temporal dynamics of socio-technical systems. The results underscore the need for policymakers to consider spatial-temporal aspects and potential secondary effects on adjacent regions when designing and implementing green industrial policies.

Rural credit acquisition for family farming in Brazil: Evidence from the Legal Amazon

Family farmers are important actors to sustain food security and job generation in Brazilian rural areas. The National Program for Strengthening Family Farming (PRONAF) is the main public program offering microcredits to family farmers to foster sustainable production and reduce the poverty gap. While poverty and income inequality prevail in the Amazon, credits seem to target wealthier livestock farmers, and neglect smallholders engaged in crop production. This paper assesses the factors influencing the monetary amount of credit received at the regional level and argues that stable production systems and strong credit mechanisms could facilitate market access, knowledge transfer, and technology adoption. A spatial Durbin error model is utilized to analyze the factors determining the credit received while controlling for spatial correlations in livestock and agricultural systems in 103 microregions, composing the Brazilian Legal Amazon. To complement the quantitative estimations, we conducted 35 semi-structured interviews with key informants from technical assistance, scholars, and banks managers. Results suggest a geographical interdependence of PRONAF microcredit allocation, where wealthier farmers steadily access markets and credits. Microregions where commercial banks are present and with higher production values receive higher microcredits, strengthening the economic advantages of wealthier farmers located in those regions. Therefore, in order to improve credit allocation, political actions should focus on targeting poor and vulnerable farmers lacking social networks, stable markets and financial investments.

Quantifying bus route service disruptions under interdependent cascading failures of a multimodal public transit system based on an improved coupled map lattice model

The coupled map lattice (CML) model can present rich spatiotemporal dynamic behaviors of complex systems, e.g., it has been observed to have good adaptability in the cascading failure modeling of subway networks (SNs). However, most studies rarely considered an interdependency between an SN and a bus network (BN), which reveals an open problem concerning the CML model's adaptability to a multimodal public transit system (MPTS). This paper develops an improved CML model to simulate interdependent cascading failures of an MPTS and quantify bus route service disruptions for amplifying severe consequences of failures. Remarkably, an interdependency integrating operational and nonlinear geographical interdependencies is proposed to modify the node state evolutionary function and model cascading failures across layers. Moreover, an estimation method for the node initial state is proposed to accommodate the initial value-sensitive dependence due to a logistic chaotic map involved in the evolutionary function. Finally, a case is simulated to verify the model's adaptability and enlighten operation management. Results indicate that (i) the neglect of interdependency causes an overestimation of the severity of cascading failures of an SN while a severe underestimation of those of a BN; (ii) the management and engineering measures to adjust transfers both have a phase transition point on the controllability of cascading failures, and the latter exhibits more a direct and comprehensive effect.

Solid waste generation indicators, per capita, in Amazonian countries.

Countries participating in the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization have few options for the environmentally appropriate final disposal of municipal solid waste. Thus, sustainable practices aimed at reducing the negative effects of such a disposal on the environment are complex and hard to accomplish, since solid waste generation per capita proportionally increases as populations grow (≈ 2.7% > world average), mainly in countries inserted in Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization. Thus, demographic, socioeconomic, management, and ecological factors represented by 18 independent variables were statistically analyzed to explain waste per capita variation in Amazonian countries and sub-regions. Multiple Kruskal-Wallis tests were applied; 13 of them recorded significant results (p < 0.05). Subsequently, simple and multivariate regression analyses were carried out by taking into consideration waste per capita and significant variables. Simple regression results recorded for variables "IAC" and "Gini index" were significant (RIAC2 = 60.09%, RGini2 = 30.83%), with emphasis on "Amazon biome" (DF = 33, p < 0.01, RBiome2 = 5.34%). Multivariate models resulted in wide explainability variation, depending on the number and type of available variable (54.47% ≤ Raj2 ≤ 70.83%), with emphasis on "IAC," "Ptot," "Purb," "Wton," "Lon," Area, "HDI," "Gini," and "SDG11" (p < 0.01). In conclusion, waste per capita estimation models can present variations and geographical interdependencies due to different variables and factors that reflect the current public policies and municipal solid waste management practices.

Geographical Locations of Occupations and Information and Communication Technology: Do Online Tools Impact Where People in the United States Live and Work?

This article investigates whether the development of information and communication technology (ICT) contributes to the dispersion of wealthy and talented people and helps prevent the concentration of wealth in only a few cities. In between some authors’ positive speculation on the role of ICT in reducing the necessity of physical distance and others’ emphasis on the vital role of offline interaction, the current research takes a broader view and investigates whether the technology impacts the concentration of jobs across the U.S. cities in the years 2006 and 2016. Using data from Occupational Employment Statistics surveys and the Occupational Information Network, I measure the significance of location for occupations by exploring geographical concentration and the interdependence of occupation dyads. The results show there is no evidence to support the assertion that ICT skills required for occupation were negatively associated with the geographical dispersion of the occupation in the study period. Instead, the research indicates that occupational ICT strengthened the geographical interdependence of occupations. The finds show that, in particular, jobs requiring higher ICT skills continued to be bounded to locations between 2006 and 2016. Overall, the results show there is no evidence for the claim that ICT is associated with the dispersion of geographical locations of occupations. The results suggest that rising communication technology will not necessarily diminish the concentration of good jobs or wealth inequality between cities.

Evaluating the Magnitude and Spatial Extent of Disruptions Across Interdependent National Infrastructure Networks

Abstract Critical infrastructure networks are geographically distributed systems spanning multiple scales. These networks are increasingly interdependent for normal operations, which causes localized asset failures from natural hazards or man-made interference to propagate across multiple networks, affecting those far removed from an initiating failure event. This paper provides methodology to identify such failure propagation effects by quantifying the spatial variability in magnitude, frequency, and disruptive reach of failures across national infrastructure networks. To achieve this, we present methodology to combine functionally interdependent infrastructure networks with geographic interdependencies by simulating complete asset failures across a national scale grid of spatially localized hazards. A range of metrics are introduced to compare the systemic vulnerabilities of infrastructure systems and the resulting spatial variability in both the potential for initiating widespread failures and the risk of being impacted by distant hazards. We demonstrate the approach through an application in New Zealand of infrastructures across the energy (electricity, petroleum supply), water and waste (water supply, wastewater, solid waste), telecommunications (mobile networks), and transportation sectors (passenger rail, ferry, air, and state highways). In addition to identifying nationally significant systemic vulnerabilities, we observe that nearly half (46%) of the total disruptions across the simulation set can be attributed to network propagation initiated asset failures. This highlights the importance in considering interdependencies when assessing infrastructure risks and prioritizing investment decisions for enhancing resilience of national networks.

Worst-case vulnerability assessment and mitigation model of urban utility tunnels

Constructing utility tunnels would bring new threats, among which the terrorist threat has been identified as the most serious one. Because utility tunnels increase geographical interdependencies among urban infrastructure systems (UISs), and attacking a tunnel segment could cause simultaneous failure of all its carried systems. This paper models the terrorist threat as worst-case failure, and formulates a tri-level mathematical model to assess and mitigate the worst-case vulnerability of urban utility tunnels that carry interdependent UISs. Exact solution of the model is obtained by a column-and-constraint generation based decomposition algorithm. Real utility tunnels that carry interdependent power and water systems in Tianjin Eco-city, China, are used to demonstrate the proposed approach. Results show that there exists a threshold value of the defense budget BD. If BD is less than that threshold, the utility tunnels greatly benefit the attacker and increase the power and water systems’ worst-case vulnerability. If BD is equal to that threshold, the utility tunnels almost do not affect the worst-case vulnerability. If BD is larger than that threshold, the utility tunnels benefit the defender and reduce the worst-case vulnerability.

Policy integration: Do laws or actors integrate issues relevant to flood risk management in Switzerland?

Existing research emphasizes interdependencies between social and ecological systems in climate change adaptation. Ecological systems are often complex and span several issues that are not integrated in the social governance system. In order to increase the fit between social and ecological systems, understanding factors that promote the integration of interdependent issues is crucial. In this paper, we consider 11 issues related to flood risk management, e.g., technical flood protection and habitat loss, which are typically addressed in different policy sectors but exhibit ecological, functional, or geographical interdependencies. We analyze two bases for issue integration: a) political actors connecting issues and, b) the legal framework cross-referencing issues. We propose a network method for systematic comparisons between issue integration based on actors and integration based on laws. For the case of Swiss flood risk management, we find that actor- and law-based issue integration co-vary and might be self-reinforcing. We further find that issue integration mostly rests on laws, although cases exist where actors are the main basis of integration. Results promote our understanding of potential bases for the integration of policy issues, thereby contributing knowledge about adaptive governance capacities in social-ecological systems that buffer the effects of climate change.

Geopolitical Situation in Northeast Asia: Development of Sino-Russian Relations

The purpose of this paper is to explore the nature and characteristics of Sino-Russian relations since 1640 where diplomatic and commercial relations were established in the far east of Siberia. A historic background will be given, in order to highlight the real reasons behind this good relation that is turning into an alliance. The paper will shed the light on important events and dates that occurred in this relation, such as the year 1858, which had disputes on the border. The author shows that the relations between China and Russia have been faced with twists and turns since its beginnings because of geographical, cultural, historical and political interdependence. This paper analyses the relationship between Russia and China in the light of international political changes as the world enters a new stage of international order, especially after the decline of US influence and China's announcement of its One Belt One Road initiative (OBOR) and its political, cultural and economic openness to the world.

Heuristic solution of a joint electric control reserve and wholesale market model

A mixed integer linear programming (MILP) approach for the joint simulation of electric control reserve and electricity wholesale markets is presented. This generation dispatch model extends an existing integrated grid and electricity market (IGEM) model covering the Continental European electric power system. By explicitly incorporating the markets for primary and secondary control reserves (PCR and SCR), the model can reproduce the decisions of generating unit operators on which markets get involved. Besides, the introduction of the integrality conditions allows considering start-up costs and the calculus of generating units to pass through the economically unattractive periods with low or even negative prices in order to avoid another start-up. Since this model is too large to be solved with common MILP solvers for the intended simulation time of one year, temporal and geographical interdependencies are used to solve it heuristically. The heuristic therefore splits the model into various sub-problems so that on the one hand, the number of variables, especially of integer variables, per sub-problem is reduced significantly and on the other hand, the relevant interdependencies remain considered. The heuristic is evaluated in terms of accuracy and computation time by means of two case studies. Both case studies show satisfactory accuracy and significant advantages in computation time.

Robustness Analysis of Interdependent Urban Critical Infrastructure Networks Against Cascade Failures

This paper presents the robustness analysis of the interdependencies between urban critical infrastructures (CI) against cascade failures. An analytical approach based on the dynamic percolation theory was introduced to investigate the multilayer interactional CI networks and to predict the urban calamity spreading as illustrate with example of China. The synergetic effect of the functional and geographical interdependencies between the networks on cascade failures of CI was studied by comparing four relevance patterns: no interdependency, the functional interdependency, the geographical interdependency, and the functional with geographical interdependency, where three different attack strategies were simultaneously considered. The results indicate that the geographical interdependency has a remarkable influence on the robustness of networks compared with functional interdependency. Moreover, excavating the scope and extent of the impact of these interdependencies, one can also find that the power network basically governs the cascade failures of global systems in contrast with water or gas network.

The Evaluation of Trade Area Models and Analysis Methods for Site Selection from International Quick Service Restaurants Perspective

International quick service restaurants (QSRs) have become a stand-alone sector due to their significant market share throughout the world instead of being considered under the food and beverage sector. The success of QSR site selection is directly related to land use and market potential estimation. This relationship has a significant influence on urban texture, identity and cities' development processes, given the high number of QSRs in urban spaces. Diverging from the current retail sector dynamics, the QSR sector brings to the table different needs in terms of trade area characteristics and spatial characteristics. In this respect, the aim of this research is to conduct an analysis on the site selection decisions of international QSRs and to establish a conceptual framework for an applicable model. Accordingly, first, the relationship between trade area analysis and site selection of international QSRs is examined. After that, trade area models of The Proximal Area Model, Reilly's Law of Retail Gravitation Model, Central Place Theory, Huff Model, Analog Model and Geographic Interdependence Model are discussed according to their competence of QSRs’ site selection. Then they are analytically evaluated within the framework of today's economic, social and spatial development variables. Finally, Regression Analysis Methods and Geographical Information Systems (GIS), which are encountered in literature and used in practice are examined, and a new theoretical framework for a site selection model integrating Regression Analysis Methods and GIS is proposed.

State Higher Education Spending: A Spatial Econometric Perspective

This article uses spatial econometric modeling to estimate the extent to which state higher education spending in three categories (need-based aid spending, non-need-based aid spending, and appropriations to public universities) is affected by the spending decisions of neighboring states. Drawing on the relevant empirical and theoretical literature in public finance and economics, it evaluates three theoretically justified alternatives for defining the connectivity between states: physical proximity, relative population migration flows between states, and common state membership in regional interstate higher education compacts. Our empirical results find statistically significant geographical spatial interdependence in spending for need-based aid and higher education appropriations, but no equivalent effects for non-need-based aid. We discuss our results in the context of the continually evolving role of higher education in state budgets.

Vulnerability analysis of interdependent spatially embedded infrastructure networks under localized attack

Infrastructure networks are usually spatially embedded, which makes them even more susceptible to spatially localized failures, i.e. a set of nodes located within a spatially localized area is subject to damage while other nodes do not directly fail. This paper mainly presents a methodological approach for analyzing vulnerability of interdependent infrastructure networks under localized attack. Two types of interdependencies are considered in the cascading failures propagation: functional and geographic interdependencies. The roles of different nodes and geographical proximity are employed to establish the functional interdependency. A novel attack failure model, i.e. localized failure model, is proposed to model geographic interdependency and quantify the failure probabilities of nodes under localized attack. Both topology-based and efficiency-based vulnerabilities of infrastructure networks are investigated. An artificial interdependent power and water networks are generated and their pertinent vulnerability is analyzed through using the presented methodological approach. Our method can help the stakeholders increase their knowledge of the vulnerability of the interdependent spatially embedded infrastructure networks under localized attack and protect them more efficiently.

Urban livability and tourism development in China: Analysis of sustainable development by means of spatial panel data

Tourism is not neutral with respect to local quality of life. With the transformation of traditional city roles and the boom of urban tourism in China, the interaction between tourism and local livability is increasingly important for sustainable development plans of urban areas. Our paper aims to address the complex interdependence of the emerging tourist industry and local livability in Chinese cities. Based on a conceptual model and a subsequent empirical statistical analysis of 35 large and medium-sized Chinese cities for the years 2003–2012, our study finds that urban livability and its related factors benefit tourism development, and that, in turn, tourism has a reverse impact on livability in urban areas; their performance appears to vary in different sub-regions and for different factors of livability; the geographic interdependence between livability and tourism development is also remarkable. Potential threats from excessive tourism development on urban livability, in particular in the Chinese Eastern and Central large and medium-sized cities, can be inferred from our empirical analysis. These conclusions may lead to important lessons to policy makers, while various suggestions based on our findings are provided as well.

Modeling cascading failures in interdependent infrastructures under terrorist attacks

An attack strength degradation model has been introduced to further capture the interdependencies among infrastructures and model cascading failures across infrastructures when terrorist attacks occur. A medium-sized energy system including oil network and power network is selected for exploring the vulnerabilities from independent networks to interdependent networks, considering the structural vulnerability and the functional vulnerability. Two types of interdependencies among critical infrastructures are involved in this paper: physical interdependencies and geographical interdependencies, shown by tunable parameters based on the probabilities of failures of nodes in the networks. In this paper, a tolerance parameter α is used to evaluation of the overloads of the substations based on power flow redistribution in power transmission systems under the attack. The results of simulation show that the independent networks or interdependent networks will be collapsed when only a small fraction of nodes are attacked under the attack strength degradation model, especially for the interdependent networks. The methodology introduced in this paper with physical interdependencies and geographical interdependencies involved in can be applied to analyze the vulnerability of the interdependent infrastructures further, and provides the insights of vulnerability of interdependent infrastructures to mitigation actions for critical infrastructure protections.

Relatedness, Transversality and Public Policy in Innovative Regions

The aims of this paper are to reflect on policy evolution observed in the EURODITE study regions, to identify the most innovative policy trajectories for delivering growth opportunities to regional firms and to explain this in terms of key theoretical findings about the virtuous policy cycles that arise from geographical proximity, co-evolution, path inter-dependence, relatedness and transversality. Accordingly, the paper involves, first, assessing the role of varieties of “proximity” in the formation of spatial distinctiveness. Second it investigates the appropriateness or otherwise of notions of “path dependence” to understanding spatial co-evolution. This leads to insights about “relatedness” in the interaction of path dependences, or more accurately path inter-dependence in evolving spatial processes, notably interactions between regional innovation paradigms and regimes in explaining regional variety. This allows eventual conjecture regarding the evidence for “regional regime variety” based on appropriately selected EURODITE regions (Bavaria, Midi-Pyrénées, Skåne, Styria) both as an advanced “platform” model of regional evolution and as a fundamental process that blocks regional homogenization. This would explain how regional culture influences policy to maintain regional specificities under forces like globalization and “digital culture” that are purported to be erosive of regional distinctiveness. Strong empirical evidence is adduced for co-evolutionary and multi-level spatial distinctiveness in paradigms and regimes that condition contemporary innovation knowledge flows.

Geographical interdependence, international trade and economic dynamics: The Chinese and German solar energy industries

The trajectories of the German and Chinese photovoltaic industries differ significantly yet are strongly interdependent. Germany has seen a rapid growth in market demand and a strong increase in production, especially in the less developed eastern half of the country. Chinese growth has been export driven. These contrasting trajectories reflect the roles of market creation, investment and credit and the drivers of innovation and competitiveness. Consequent differences in competiveness have generated major trade disputes.

An approach for modelling interdependent infrastructures in the context of vulnerability analysis

Technical infrastructures of the society are becoming more and more interconnected and interdependent, i.e. the function of an infrastructure influences the function of other infrastructures. Disturbances in one infrastructure therefore often traverse to other dependent infrastructures and possibly even back to the infrastructure where the failure originated. It is becoming increasingly important to take these interdependencies into account when assessing the vulnerability of technical infrastructures. In the present paper, an approach for modelling interdependent technical infrastructures is proposed. The modelling approach considers structural properties, as employed in graph theory, as well as functional properties to increase its fidelity and usefulness. By modelling a fictional electrified railway network that consists of five systems and interdependencies between the systems, it is shown how the model can be employed in a vulnerability analysis. The model aims to capture both functional and geographic interdependencies. It is concluded that the proposed modelling approach is promising and suitable in the context of vulnerability analyses of interdependent systems.

An approach to identifying geographic interdependencies among critical infrastructures

Interdependencies among Critical Infrastructures (CIs) are the basis for domino effects that may have serious consequences for society. Especially in urban areas, the high density of these infrastructures and their geographic proximity may result in failures due to geographic interdependencies, one of the four types of interdependencies that exist among CIs. Studying the issue of geographic interdependencies raises a specific problem that must be addressed. Such a study necessarily requires information on the location of system infrastructures in order to determine their proximity. Access to this kind of information is one of the major difficulties associated with the study of geographic interdependencies. Because this kind of information is confidential, systems are not willing to share it. This article presents an approach that makes it possible to study geographic interdependencies among CIs but requires only a minimum of information on the specific location of system infrastructures. Based on the concept of so-called flexible cartography, this approach provides relevant results for the processing of interdependencies, while respecting organisations' confidentiality constraints.