Agglomeration, Environmental Policies and Surface Water Quality in China: A Study Based on a Quasi-Natural Experiment

Junsong Wang and Yehua Dennis Wei
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Junsong Wang: Institute for Global Innovation & Development, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China; wjsenjoy@126.com
Yehua Dennis Wei: Department of Geography, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-9155, USA

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 19, 1-14

Abstract: This paper investigates the relationship between agglomeration and water pollution, and the effect of environment policies on water pollution reduction. The study employs a quasi-natural experimental method by coupling river water monitoring sites and development zones (DZs). We found that DZs were associated with water quality deterioration in their surrounding areas. However, the “Water Ten Plan”, which was released in 2015 and requires DZs to install water treatment facilities, effectively reduced water pollution, especially for those DZs with more polluting industries. Our findings provide evidence that agglomeration can facilitate efficient processing of wastewater by enabling its centralized treatment. The paper provides quantitative evidence for the effect of agglomeration and environmental policies from a micro point of view.

Keywords: agglomeration; development zones; environmental policies; pollution; quasi-natural experiment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:19:p:5394-:d:271987

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