Exploring the impacts of water resources on economic development in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region

Xiaoxia Lin (), Jinghua Sha and Jingjing Yan

ERSA conference papers from European Regional Science Association

Abstract: Abstract: Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region is one of the most developed areas in China with a most rapid rate of economic growth. It is also a well-known region suffering great water scarcity. The water resources per capita is 118.60m³, 99.46 m³, 240.57 m³ respectively in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei in 2013, all below 500 m³ that is defined as absolute scarcity by the United Nations. Water resources scarcity restricts the economic growth of the region at large and may account to the economic gaps between the three cities/ provinces. Economic growth in return aggravates its water shortage. The coordinated development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region has been emphasized in recent years by the central government and means of solving regional problems and promoting its coordinated development need to be put forward. This study investigates the impacts of water resources factors on the regional economic growth to explore the direct influential factors of water resources, using panel data collected from 2004 to 2013. The main results show that: (1) the share of water for agricultural use and annual domestic water use per capita are statistically significant to the regional GDP per capita, with coefficients of 0.86 and 0.32 and (2) thus the impact of water resources on regional economic development is attributable to regional water use structure and domestic water use efficiency. Integrated regional governance of water resources, especially regional policies towards efficient water use and enhanced economic structure optimizing would be effective options for governments to propel the sustainable development of the region.

Keywords: water resources; regional economic development; Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: R11 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015-10
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-agr, nep-cna and nep-tra
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa15p723

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