Economic Growth and Environmental Degradation in a Global Context

The overall aim of this study is to analyse the relationship between economic growth and environmental degradation with particular reference to carbon emissions and deforestation. The analysis is based upon the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) model, which posits an inverted-U relationship between incomes per capita and environmental quality. In particular, the present analysis tries to take into account the current process of globalisation with the aim of defining the impact of the progressive global economic integration on the relationship between economic growth and environmental degradation. The study confirms that there is an inverted-U relationship between income growth and carbon emissions, while the relationship results less clear in the case of forest change. The inclusion of globalisation in the analysis confirms similar results and suggests a direct link between an increase in the rate of integration with the global economy and a worsening in terms of environmental degradation.     

Socioeconomic development and vulnerability to land degradation in Italy

In recent years, the surface area affected by land degradation (LD) has significantly increased in southern European regions where the socioeconomic development has been proposed as a basic factor underlying the degree of vulnerability to LD. This paper investigates the correlation between several socioeconomic indicators and the level of vulnerability to LD in Italy, expressed as changes (1990–2000) in a composite index of land vulnerability (ΔLVI). The analysis was carried out over 784 local districts. The impact of per capita value added, agricultural intensity, industrial and tourism concentration, and urban growth was separately tested on ΔLVI. Results indicate that a lower district value added, crop intensification, irrigation, and the level of land vulnerability to degradation are strongly associated with the increasing level of land vulnerability over time, highlighting the role of the socioeconomic development as a main process underlying LD. In this framework, spatially equitable sustainable development may represent the effective strategy to mitigate the detrimental effects of economic growth and regional disparities on Mediterranean LD.     

Landscape changes and environmental quality: the evolution of land vulnerability and potential resilience to degradation in Italy

Resilience, considered as the ability of a system to absorb and compensate pressures derived from human and natural systems, is a topic of interest in the Mediterranean region whose landscape is the joint result of social, economic and environmental factors. The present study analyses the changes in the Italian landscape over two periods (1960–1990 and 1990–2010) of the last 50 years through a composite index of environmental resilience and vulnerability to land degradation. Results indicate that the spatial distribution of this index has been considerably changed from a relatively simple geography (mainly reflecting a latitude gradient) to a more complex pattern. The level of vulnerability of southern Italian land maintained quite stable while increasing significantly in Northern and Central Italy. The (potential) resilience level decreased over time in Central and Northern Italy while growing moderately in Southern Italy. This means that important processes of environmental changes impacting landscape resilience occurred with a different spatial trend in Italy. The composite index derived from vulnerability and potential resilience estimates at the regional scale revealed crucial to map over time the increase of surface land exposed to desertification risk. Results support the adoption of measures promoting a sustainable land management in environmentally vulnerable land with low potential to resilience.     

土地集约利用与生态效率的耦合协调发展研究

如何处理好土地集约利用与生态环境之间的关系,实现土地利用的经济、社会和生态三效益协调发展是新型城镇化建设中面临的一个重要问题。该文利用2005～2016年中国30个省、直辖市、自治区面板数据,通过全局主成分分析方法和超效率SBM模型对土地集约利用综合指数和生态效率进行测算,试图揭示土地集约利用与生态效率的耦合协调发展状况。结果表明：（1）土地集约利用水平呈逐步递增趋势,增长幅度表现为东部>中部>西部>东北地区;（2）生态效率逐年增加,增长幅度表现为东部>中部>西部>东北地区;（3）2016年,7个（23%）省市达到协调发展类,4个（14%）省市属于濒临失调类;19个（63%）省市属于失调衰退类。其中,上海和宁夏属于生态效率滞后型,其他省市均属于土地集约利用滞后型。此外,二者的耦合协调度有较明显的空间正相关性,但集聚程度逐渐减弱,空间分异愈加明显。     

城市化与环境污染：中国省际面板数据的实证研究

对环境库兹涅茨曲线（EKC）假说进行了扩展，选取1998～2005年中国30个省（市、自治区）的面板数据，构建了6类环境污染指标同城市化水平及控制变量间的计量模型，并运用Eviews软件进行了实证检验。研究结果表明：4类污染物同城市化水平之间存在倒U形曲线关系，另外2类污染物同城市化水平之间存在正U形曲线关系，目前中国大体上已经进入U形曲线的右半段，但由于地区发展差距的存在，各地进入曲线右半段的时间不同；控制变量的加入不仅改变了转折点出现的时间，而且改变了某些污染指标同城市化水平之间的U形曲线关系；贸易开放并不一定造成环境的恶化，“污染天堂”假说在中国不成立；产业结构变动是造成环境污染的重要因素；技术进步引致的单位GDP能耗下降能减轻环境污染压力；快速的经济增长将导致更加严重的环境污染。     

中国区域污染与经济增长实证:基于面板数据联立方程

考虑区域污染与区域经济增长的双向作用机制,构建联立方程模型,利用我国1998-2008年30个地区的面板数据,实证研究了6类区域污染物指标与区域经济增长的内在关系,对环境库兹涅茨曲线假说进行验证,探讨区域污染的主要影响因素。研究结果表明:①仅工业粉尘、工业SO2与GDP存在倒U型曲线关系,符合环境库兹涅茨曲线假说;工业废水、工业固废与GDP存在正的线性关系,工业废水中污染物化学需氧量、工业烟尘与GDP存在负的线性关系,不支持环境库兹涅茨曲线假说。指出并非经济发展到一定水平,区域污染问题就会得到全面解决。②人口规模对区域污染排放影响不显著;科技水平和能源利用率的提高能有效降低区域污染排放;政府环保管制未能有效控制区域污染排放;加大贸易开放程度对污染排放影响有正有负;产业结构不合理会加剧区域污染排放。③工业烟尘、工业SO2污染对区域经济增长有反作用。现阶段,我国区域污染对区域经济增长的反馈机制较弱,给我们敲醒了环保警钟。指出转变经济增长方式,走经济增长与环境保护协调发展的路子是我国今后的必然选择。     

中国省市区环境与社会经济地域关联分析

从地域的角度出发，构建环境综合指数，并分析中国各省市区的环境地域结构；通过因子分析方法，选择与环境状况有关的社会经济因子综合成若干公共因子，建筑经济发展的主驱动力，并考察社会经济地域差异；最后，在分析中国各省市环境地域结构和社会经济结构的基础上，探讨了二者之间的关系，确定了不同地域类型改善环境质量的社会经济调控主导方向。     

经济增长和环境规制对雾霾的区际影响差异

为探究不同省级区域雾霾、经济增长和环境规制之间的空间关联效应,本文提出针对雾霾的引力模型空间权重矩阵,并利用该矩阵建立了空间杜宾模型,分别对全国、西部、中部和东部省区的面板数据进行了空间计量检验。实证结果显示:全国雾霾的莫兰指数值显著,且取值介于0.367—0.460之间;雾霾"重心"呈现先向东南再向西北移动的趋势,移动距离为76 557 m;雾霾的莫兰指数值为东部省区最大,西部省区最小,中部省区介于二者之间。全国的雾霾与经济增长之间呈显著的"U"型曲线,而西部、中部和东部省区则呈倒"U"型曲线,其中中部省区的曲线最为陡峭,西部省区次之,东部省区最为平缓。环境规制每增加1%,只有西部和东部的雾霾相应减少,且各自相应下降0.009和0.010个百分点。西部和东部经济增长的溢出效应均显著,而环境规制的溢出效应不显著。研究结果表明:(1)雾霾在空间上表现出集聚的特点,全国和三个区域的雾霾都存在显著的正向空间溢出效应,这种空间依赖性在时间维度上大致呈加强的趋势;雾霾的空间相关性表现为东部省区最强,西部省区紧随其后,中部省区最低。(2)西部和东部省区部分省市还未过拐点,全国意义上的环境库茨涅兹假说是不存在的,或者是至少还未出现。(3)西部和东部环境规制效果较为理想,而中部省区的环境规制效果不佳;从全国总体来看,当前的环境规制整体上对雾霾并未起到有效的抑制作用。(4)东西部省区和中部省区经济增长对雾霾溢出效应分别表现为正向和反向;环境规制对雾霾的溢出效应并不显著。建议加强对雾霾的区域协同治理,重点推进西部和东部省区经济结构的转型升级,调整和完善西部、中部和东部省区的环境规制政策。     

Land Degradation Evaluation in North Hebei Province Based on Remote Sensing and GIS

Land degradation is one of the serious environmental problems that can lead to poverty, and is especially prominent in eco-fragile areas in developing countries and increases the risk of environmental safety. North Hebei Province belongs to an ecologically fragile region in North China, which has great impact on the eco-safety of Beijing and Tianjin. Using Landsat TM data and GIS, this paper evaluates land degradation in North Hebei province of China from the the 1960＇s to 1987 and 2000. Land use/cover change pattern from 1987 to 2000, its regional difference and forest change characteristics will also be analyzed; soil erosion intensity and arable land suitability were also evaluated. Results revealed that land use/cover pattern in this study area did not change greatly from 1987 to 2000. The structure and function of regional land ecosystem was at a level of local improvement and integral deterioration. Land above medium soil erosion intensity reached 21 percent, which was also the area with a serious soil erosion and land degradation problem. Soil erosion and land degradation intensity of grassland was the biggest. For the present arable land, the proportion of high suitability was 13 percent.     

Exploring the causal relationship between carbon emissions and land urbanization quality in China using a panel data analysis

Land use and carbon emissions have long been a heated topic in China as well as developing countries. This paper contributes to the study of the related area as to investigate the causal relationship between the land urbanization quality and carbon emissions using panel data from 30 provinces in China over the period of 2004–2013. The empirical results show that: There exists bidirectional causality between land urbanization quality and carbon emissions across the country; land urbanization quality has negative effects on carbon emissions in all areas, with its effects largest in the Central region, followed by the Eastern, and the Western ranked at last; causal relationship exists in all regions, in addition to Eastern China; Central region has the highest potential of energy conservation. These findings provide new insights and valuable information for optimizing land use and urban development in China. In particular, to actively adjust the industrial structure, innovation in science and technology, and separate policy focus can contribute to energy conservation and urban land use.     

我国城市建设用地利用效益评价

从土地利用的综合效益出发。采用因子分析方法从经济、社会、环境等多角度对现阶段我国各省（区、市）城市建设用地的综合利用效益进行了定量化评价。研究结果显示，土地利用效益偏低的省份为18个，占60％，主要分布在中西部地区，利用效益较高的省份为7个。主要位于东部沿海等地。本研究方法克服了以往单因素评价方法的不足，即片面追求经济总量不一定实现土地资源可持续高效利用。同时，为从空间角度调控土地利用效益提供了一定的政策建议。     

Land Degradation Evaluation in North Hebei Province Based on Remote Sensing and GIS

Abstract

Land degradation is one of the serious environmental problems that can lead to poverty, and is especially prominent in eco-fragile areas in developing countries and increases the risk of environmental safety. North Hebei Province belongs to an ecologically fragile region in North China, which has great impact on the eco-safety of Beijing and Tianjin. Using Landsat TM data and GIS, this paper evaluates land degradation in North Hebei province of China from the the 1960's to 1987 and 2000. Land use/cover change pattern from 1987 to 2000, its regional difference and forest change characteristics will also be analyzed; soil erosion intensity and arable land suitability were also evaluated. Results revealed that land use/cover pattern in this study area did not change greatly from 1987 to 2000. The structure and function of regional land ecosystem was at a level of local improvement and integral deterioration. Land above medium soil erosion intensity reached 21 percent, which was also the area with a serious soil erosion and land degradation problem. Soil erosion and land degradation intensity of grassland was the biggest. For the present arable land, the proportion of high suitability was 13 percent.     

Ecological and Economic System Health Assessment Based on Fuzzy Set Pair Analysis: A Case Study of Northwest Region,China

Abstract

Due to the increasingly serious environmental pollution and destruction, especially humans’ unreasonable activities, the ecological and economic system (EES) issues of Northwest region in China have attracted more and more attention of the researchers. Aiming at evaluating its ecological and economic system health, a multi-objective evaluation framework called Pressure- State-Response (PSR) was established to describe the ecological and economic health situations. Meanwhile, an integrative set pair model combining set pair analysis (SPA) and fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) was proposed to assess the ecological and economic system. Then the EES status of five northwest provinces (Shanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia and Xinjiang) of Northwest region in China was evaluated during 1985 to 2009. The EES development trends of five provinces are obtained. In general, the health values of five provinces showed a rising trend. The health values of five provinces grew rapidly during 1985 to 2000. After 2000, the health values of five provinces still followed the present growth trend, but the growth is relatively smooth. The results show that the method proposed is effective for assessing the health of ecological and economic system.     

中国耕地有效供给评价及影响因素分析

近年来,我国耕地供需矛盾日益尖锐.如何在经济社会快速发展的同时,保证一定数量和质量的耕地供给,增强国土资源保障能力是我国当前和未来相当长一段时间内必须面对和解决的问题.本文基于耕地资源有效供给的分析框架,利用1998-2008年全国31个省(市、自治区)社会经济数据、土地利用数据对各省市耕地资源有效供给的历史水平进行评价,并运用主成分分析法分析耕地有效供给水平的主要影响因子.研究发现,1998-2008年间,全国耕地有效供给水平基本稳定在1左右,基本实现有效耕地供需平衡,其中中部8省耕地有效供给水平历年均高于东部和西部,东部11省耕地有效供给水平下降最快.在归纳耕地有效供给水平受农业投入与技术进步、经济、政策等因素影响的基础上,本文强调建立以市场需求为导向、重视耕地利用的农业投入与技术进步、确保耕地数量基本稳定的有效供给体系.     

江苏沿海滩涂地区农户经济行为研究

江苏海岸带是中国最重要的海岸带湿地之一。滩涂资源的可持续利用成为当前研究的焦点。农户是滩涂开发的微观经济活动的主体和相对独立的生产单位。农户的经济行为对滩涂开发和利用产生直接和重要的影响。以江苏省盐城市的射阳县、大丰市为例，选择3个典型村庄进行入户访谈式调查．在对220个农户进行了入户随机抽样调查的基础上，利用区域经济动力学原理Logisti模型和Cobb-Douglas生产函数。建立了农户经济行为对环境影响的数量经济模型。研究表明，滩涂区农户经济行为对滩涂环境压力的大小及类型具有直接影响。土地经营规模、土地利用类型、生产投入、投资意向、农户受教育水平等是产生影响的主要因素。找出滩涂资源利用中存在的问题和主要的环境压力在于：农户经济生产方式单一，产业结构不合理；农户教育水平较低，环境意识差；滩涂利用经济效率低．环境压力大；农户抗市场风险能力差。并提出了相应的对策和建议。     

Movement towards a low carbon emitted environment: a test of some factors in Malaysia

There exists a high global concern in different nations on environmental sustainability especially at the focal stage of increased economic growth and development process due to high level of environmental degradation and pollution. The major aim of this study was to empirically examine how to minimise carbon emissions (CO₂) in Malaysia which are mainly caused by energy production, fossil fuel consumption, population density and economic growth. The study adopted the method of autoregressive distributed lag bound testing approach to analyse the data for the period 1971–2011. The study found that economic growth in Malaysia has a direct relationship with CO₂ emissions in both the short run and the long run. Similarly, there is a positive relationship between fossil fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions over the same period. Population density was found to have positive impacts on CO₂ emissions. Contrarily, the relationship between the activities of energy production and pollution is negative in the long run. The study recommends that a targeted GDP growth rate should be set with the consideration to avoid more environmental pollution. In addition, the positive impact of fossil fuel consumption on the environmental pollution implies that there is a need to make and implement policies that will encourage the use of public transportation system more than private transportations. That is, the unnecessary use of private vehicles should be discouraged in order to reduce the extent of fossil fuel consumption.     

Environmental efficiency and its determinants in the development of China’s western regions in 2000–2014

In this study, we measure the environmental efficiency of western China in 2000–2014 by the super-efficiency slacks-based measure model which considers the undesirable outputs. The results show that the environmental efficiency of western China is low and rank behind in the national level. The environmental efficiency is lower than the traditional efficiency which reflects that the economic growth in 2000–2014 has paid high environmental costs. The difference between the traditional efficiency and environmental efficiency experienced “inverted U”-type trend change. The environmental efficiency of the western provinces presented differentiated developing trend and the differences between the western provinces were enlarging. The environmental efficiency of the western regions was not only lower than that in the eastern regions with a big gap but also lower than that in the central regions. Through the convergence test, we found that the environmental efficiency gap between the western and the eastern regions was gradually expanding; meanwhile, the environmental efficiency gap between the central and the western regions was narrowing. This paper also analyzes the determinants of environmental efficiency by the tobit model and then addresses.     

Decoupling Relationship Between Cultivated Land Occupation by Construction and Economic Growth in China During 1998-2007

With the rapid development of economy, the conversion of cultivated land into nonagricultural land occurs more frequently and makes cultivated land sparser. This article based on the decoupling theory takes the situations of cultivated land occupation by construction and economic growth in China from 1998 to 2007 as an example to evaluate and analyze the decoupling. The conclusions are drawn as follows. First, the article applies IU curve and gross method. The decoupling status by gross method, in contrast to that by IU curve, can express the pressure from cultivated land occupation better and is similar to the decoupling status based on the model of decoupling in this article. Second, in most provinces of China, the relationship between the cultivated land occupation by construction and economic growth has transformed from expansive negative decoupling to strong decoupling. In general, the transformation was firstly from economically advanced eastern municipalities under the central government directly, then to economically advanced eastern coastal provinces, and lastly to central, western and northeastern regions. Third, the decoupling status was relative to contemporaneous policies and laws on cultivated land protection and regional development planning. Their effect is obvious and positive.     

长株潭地区经济增长与工业污染变迁的实证研究

根据长株潭地区1990~2006年经济与工业污染数据,分析了经济发展与环境污染的相互关系,建立了二者之间的计量模型。研究表明：作为一个重化工业城市群,长株潭自20世纪90年代以来,在经济高速发展的情况下,其环境恶化程度逐步得到局部控制。其中,长沙市部分环境指标与人均GDP演替轨迹呈现显著的环境库兹涅茨曲线特征;而株洲市和湘潭市工业污染排放量与人均GDP呈“U”形特征,即随着经济的增长,环境污染先是有一定程度的缓解,但随即有较大幅度的反弹。为了进一步促进长株潭地区经济与环境的协调发展,三地政府一方面应采取措施加快产业结构调整和优化工业布局,另一方面,还应尝试实施"排污权交易"和"受益者支付"原则等积极的环保管理手段和政策。     

我国畜禽集约化养殖环境压力及国外环境治理的启示

集约化养殖是我国畜禽产业发展的必然趋势,但畜禽集约化养殖带来的环境污染也日益严重。通过测算近10 a来的全国畜禽养殖废弃物产生总量及废弃物中氮、磷养分的排放总量,以欧盟畜禽耕地承载负荷为标准,建立畜禽粪便土地负荷警报值等级,分析得出我国全国及各区域畜禽养殖的环境压力:从近5 a全国层面看,以氮养分测算的耕地负载警报值在0.7左右,且2009~2011年的警报值已经超过07,畜禽氮养分的耕地负荷已经开始对环境产生污染威胁;而以磷肥测算的耕地负载警报值已经超过1,对环境造成了较严重的污染威胁。从2010年具体区域情况看,以氮养分测算的耕地负载警报值超过07的达到17个省份,其中河南、湖南、广东、四川污染较严重,北京的畜禽养殖氮养分环境污染已经到严重的程度;以磷养份测算的耕地负载警报值已有21个省份超过1,北京和广东的耕地负载警报值已接近3,磷养分的环境污染已很严重。最后,探讨了发达国家畜禽养殖环境压力及环境治理措施对我国的启示