Evaluation of China’s Environmental Pressures Based on Satellite NO 2 Observation and the Extended STIRPAT Model

Yuanzheng Cui, Lei Jiang, Weishi Zhang, Haijun Bao, Bin Geng, Qingqing He, Long Zhang and David G. Streets
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Yuanzheng Cui: Institute of Land and Urban-rural Development, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou 310018, China
Lei Jiang: School of Economics, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou 310018, China
Weishi Zhang: School of Geographic and Environmental Sciences, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
Haijun Bao: School of Public Administration, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou 310018, China
Bin Geng: Institute of Land and Urban-rural Development, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou 310018, China
Qingqing He: School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
Long Zhang: Business School, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang 464000, China
David G. Streets: Energy Systems Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439, USA

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 9, 1-16

Abstract: China’s rapid urbanization and industrialization have affected the spatiotemporal patterns of nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) pollution, which has led to greater environmental pressures. In order to mitigate the environmental pressures caused by NO 2 pollution, it is of vital importance to investigate the influencing factors. We first obtained data for NO 2 pollution at the city level using satellite observation techniques and analyzed its spatial distribution. Next, we introduced a theoretical framework, an extended stochastic impacts by regression on population, affluence, and technology (STIRPAT) model, to quantify the relationship between NO 2 pollution and its contributing natural and socio-economic factors. The results are as follows. Cities with high NO 2 pollution are mainly concentrated in the North China Plain. On the contrary, southwestern cities are characterized by low NO 2 pollution. In addition, we find that population, per capita gross domestic product, the share of the secondary industry, ambient air pressures, total nighttime light data, and urban road area have a positive impact on NO 2 pollution. In contrast, increases in the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), relative humidity, temperature, and wind speed may reduce NO 2 pollution. These empirical results should help the government to effectively and efficiently implement further emission reductions and energy saving policies in Chinese cities in a bid to mitigate the environmental pressures.

Keywords: nitrogen dioxide pollution; extended STIRPAT model; urban environmental pressures; Chinese cities; satellite observations (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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