Analysis of the Relationship between Economic Development and Water Resources–Ecological Management Capacity in China Based on Nighttime Lighting Data

Mengjiao Wang, Xiaofang Xu (), Liyuan Zheng, Xiaolu Xu and Yukuo Zhang
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Mengjiao Wang: Business School, Hohai University, Nanjing 211100, China
Xiaofang Xu: School of Management, Wenzhou Business College, Wenzhou 325035, China
Liyuan Zheng: Business School, Hohai University, Nanjing 211100, China
Xiaolu Xu: School of Finance and Taxation, Zhengzhou Technology and Business University, Zhengzhou 451400, China
Yukuo Zhang: Business School, Hohai University, Nanjing 211100, China

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 3, 1-19

Abstract: Water resources are important factors limiting social and economic development, so how to ensure the coordination between economic development and water resources–ecological management capacity has become a key issue that needs to be addressed urgently for China’s high-quality economic development. This paper used nighttime light data as proxy variables of economic development to calculate the coupling coordination degree between provincial economic development and water resources–ecological management capacity in China from 2004 to 2019 based on the coupling coordination degree model; w constructed a spatial econometric model to explore the spatial correlation and influencing factors between economic development and water resources–ecological management capacity. The results are shown in the following: (1) The overall level of China’s economic development is on an upward trend, but the regional development is unbalanced, showing a decreasing spatial pattern distribution of the eastern coastal region–mid-western region–far-western region. (2) The level of water resources–ecological management capacity is low, and the spatial distribution shows a decreasing trend in the far west–central and western–eastern coastal regions. (3) The level of coupling and coordination between economic development and water resources–ecological management capacity rises from a mild imbalance level to a little imbalance level, and the spatial distribution is consistent with the spatial distribution of economic development. (4) The factors influencing the level of coupling and coordination of inter-provincial economic development and water resources–ecological management capacity in China mainly involve the population scale, technological progress, affluence, and foreign direct investment. Each province and city should take into account its own actual situation and develop targeted measures to promote the coordinated development of economic development and the water resources–ecological management capacity.

Keywords: economic development; water resources–ecological management capacity; coupling coordination relation; night light data; space effect (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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