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I majored in rural economic development many years ago.
Identification of local priorities within each potential sector and implementation of a targeted development policy would definitely accelerate rural economic growth. In this sense, it is useful to examine each region’s industrial structural evolution compared to the whole economy and aggregate industries. Shift-share analysis has been confirmed as a useful method to measure regional economic differences and analyze the contribution of industrial structure. This paper selects five representative counties in Heilongjiang province and applies shift-share decomposition to analyze the change in rural economic development from 2000 to 2018. The change of economic growth in each selected county is decomposed into three components: national growth effect, industrial structure effect, and competitive effect, taking the national level as the reference. The results showed the following: (1) the trend of rural economic growth fluctuated greatly for nearly 20 years, distinguished by a mismatch of industrial structure with competitiveness for the selected counties; rural economies with an inappropriate industrial structure did not experience strong growth, despite high competitive potential. (2) The low-end agricultural structure and secondary industry structure led to the loss of each competitive effect; the tertiary industry structure based on economic structure servitization was rational, but the competitive effect did not work out. (3) Finally, this paper provided differentiated suggestions in accordance with local resources and priorities of the selected counties, so as to avoid excessive convergence and the lack of characteristics in industrial structure in rural transformation.
Donghui Lv; Huiying Gao; Yu Zhang. Rural Economic Development Based on Shift-Share Analysis in A Developing Country: A Case Study in Heilongjiang Province, China. Sustainability 2021, 13, 1969 .
AMA StyleDonghui Lv, Huiying Gao, Yu Zhang. Rural Economic Development Based on Shift-Share Analysis in A Developing Country: A Case Study in Heilongjiang Province, China. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (4):1969.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDonghui Lv; Huiying Gao; Yu Zhang. 2021. "Rural Economic Development Based on Shift-Share Analysis in A Developing Country: A Case Study in Heilongjiang Province, China." Sustainability 13, no. 4: 1969.
In September 2020, the Chinese government proposed a climate change commitment that aims to make carbon emissions peak before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. In this context, it is important to examine the relationship between economic growth and carbon emissions. The Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) and decoupling analysis are commonly used assessment methods for regional sustainable development. Each method has a particular emphasis: the former focuses on long-term trends and the latter on short-term change. Integrating the EKC hypothesis with decoupling analysis is helpful to diagnose the relationship between economic growth and the carbon emissions of the manufacturing industry from the perspective of long-term trends and short-term changes. The results showed that the EKC passed the inflection point for both China’s entire manufacturing industry and manufacture of nonmetallic mineral product subsector (MNM), but not in the other four main subsectors from 1995 to 2017. Strong decoupling, weak decoupling, and expansive coupling were observed between CO2 emissions and the value added in China’s entire manufacturing industry, in which weak decoupling accounted for the largest proportion. The decoupling index showed a downward trend on the whole. The decoupling status of subsectors from 1995 to 2017 was mainly weak decoupling, but different subsectors also showed characteristics of differentiation. At present, integrating EKC with decoupling has only occurred across the entire manufacturing industry and MNM. This study will provide suggestions for carbon reductions in China and will enrich the assessment methods of sustainable development.
Donghui Lv; Ruru Wang; Yu Zhang. Sustainability Assessment Based on Integrating EKC with Decoupling: Empirical Evidence from China. Sustainability 2021, 13, 655 .
AMA StyleDonghui Lv, Ruru Wang, Yu Zhang. Sustainability Assessment Based on Integrating EKC with Decoupling: Empirical Evidence from China. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (2):655.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDonghui Lv; Ruru Wang; Yu Zhang. 2021. "Sustainability Assessment Based on Integrating EKC with Decoupling: Empirical Evidence from China." Sustainability 13, no. 2: 655.
The “Qinling-Huaihe Line” is the recognized geographical boundary between north and south China. In the context of a widening north–south gap, the large-scale population flow and the implementation of the regional coordinated development strategy, the north–south differentiation of the Chinese population requires further investigation. This study is based on national census data and uses quantitative methods, such as the centralization index, coefficient of variation, hot spot analysis and geodetector, as research methods. This study takes the Qinling-Huaihe Line as the dividing line and aims to extensively explore the spatial differentiation, evolutionary characteristics, and influential factors of the populations on both sides. The main conclusions are as follows: ① From 1982 to 2010, the population share ratio on the south and north sides of the Qinling-Huaihe Line remained at 58:42, showing a distribution pattern of “South more and North less”. ② The area within 200 km from the Qinling-Huaihe Line is a transition area with a stable distribution of the populations on both sides. ③ From 1982 to 2010, the concentration of the population distribution gradually increased on both sides, and the concentration of population on the south side was higher; the characteristics of population growth had significant spatial differences between the two sides. ④ The results calculated by the geodetector method show that socioeconomic factors are the main factors causing the spatial differentiation of the populations, while physical geographical environmental factors have a smaller influence and their influence continues to decrease.
Jie Liu; Qingshan Yang; Jian Liu; Yu Zhang; Xiaojun Jiang; Yangmeina Yang. Study on the Spatial Differentiation of the Populations on Both Sides of the “Qinling-Huaihe Line” in China. Sustainability 2020, 12, 4545 .
AMA StyleJie Liu, Qingshan Yang, Jian Liu, Yu Zhang, Xiaojun Jiang, Yangmeina Yang. Study on the Spatial Differentiation of the Populations on Both Sides of the “Qinling-Huaihe Line” in China. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (11):4545.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJie Liu; Qingshan Yang; Jian Liu; Yu Zhang; Xiaojun Jiang; Yangmeina Yang. 2020. "Study on the Spatial Differentiation of the Populations on Both Sides of the “Qinling-Huaihe Line” in China." Sustainability 12, no. 11: 4545.
Based on panel data from 1995, 2005, and 2015 in the Songnen Plain in Heilongjiang Province, this paper used quantitative and spatial analysis methods to reveal the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics and coupling relationship between agricultural labor and agricultural production at the county level against the background of rural shrinkage. The results showed the following: (1) From 1995 to 2015, the agricultural labor population in Songnen Plain increased first and then decreased. The transfer of agricultural labor in the northern and eastern areas was clear, and the agricultural labor population in the central and western areas showed an increasing trend. (2) From 1995 to 2015, the agricultural production showed a growth trend, from the characteristics of “high in the southwest and low in the northeast” to “high in the central areas and low around”, with clear regional differences. (3) The coupling relationship between agricultural labor and agricultural production was diverse, showing a trend of positive development from extensive, lagged, and declining types to growth or intensive types. In some areas, the transfer of agricultural labor brought about an increase in the per capita cultivated land and an intensive transformation of production, but problems such as hollow villages, the abandonment of cultivated land and food insecurity often occurred. In addition, the increase in the agricultural labor population promoted the growth of grain yield and agricultural output value, but the decrease in per capita cultivated land might lead to a decrease in the per capita income. Finally, based on the coupling types and spatial distribution characteristics of agricultural labor and agricultural production, some policy suggestions are proposed for rural revitalization.
Yangmeina Yang; Yu Zhang; Jian Liu; Fang Huang. Coupling Relationship between Agricultural Labor and Agricultural Production Against the Background of Rural Shrinkage: A Case Study of Songnen Plain, China. Sustainability 2019, 11, 5804 .
AMA StyleYangmeina Yang, Yu Zhang, Jian Liu, Fang Huang. Coupling Relationship between Agricultural Labor and Agricultural Production Against the Background of Rural Shrinkage: A Case Study of Songnen Plain, China. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (20):5804.
Chicago/Turabian StyleYangmeina Yang; Yu Zhang; Jian Liu; Fang Huang. 2019. "Coupling Relationship between Agricultural Labor and Agricultural Production Against the Background of Rural Shrinkage: A Case Study of Songnen Plain, China." Sustainability 11, no. 20: 5804.
China is the world’s largest emitter of CO2. As the largest sector of China’s fossil energy consumption and carbon emissions, manufacturing plays an important role in achieving emission reduction targets in China. Using the extended logarithmic mean division index (LMDI) decomposition model, this paper decomposed the factors that affect the CO2 emissions of China’s manufacturing industry into eight effects. The results show the following: (1) China’s manufacturing CO2 emissions increased from 1.91 billion tons in 1995 to 6.25 billion tons in 2015, with an average annual growth rate of 6%. Ferrous metal smelting and rolling were the largest sources of carbon dioxide emissions, followed by chemical raw materials and products and then non-metallic minerals. (2) During the research period, the industrial activity effects were the most important factor leading to increased CO2 emissions in manufacturing and energy intensity was the most important factor in promoting the reduction of CO2 emissions from manufacturing. The investment intensity was the second most influential factor leading to the increase in China’s manufacturing CO2 emissions after the industrial scale and this even exceeded the industrial activity effect in some time periods (2000–2005). R&D efficiency and R&D intensity were shown to have significant roles in reducing CO2 emissions in China’s manufacturing industry. The input of R&D innovation factors is an effective way to achieve emission reductions in China’s manufacturing industry. (3) There were differences in the driving factors of CO2 emissions in the manufacturing industry in different periods that were closely related to the international and domestic economic development environment and the relevant policies of the Chinese government regarding energy conservation and emission reduction. (4) Sub-sector research found that the factors that affect the reduction of CO2 emissions in various industries appear to be differentiated. This paper has important policy significance to allow the Chinese government to implement effective energy-saving and emission reduction measures and to reduce CO2 emissions from the manufacturing industry.
Jian Liu; Qingshan Yang; Yu Zhang; Wen Sun; Yiming Xu. Analysis of CO2 Emissions in China’s Manufacturing Industry Based on Extended Logarithmic Mean Division Index Decomposition. Sustainability 2019, 11, 226 .
AMA StyleJian Liu, Qingshan Yang, Yu Zhang, Wen Sun, Yiming Xu. Analysis of CO2 Emissions in China’s Manufacturing Industry Based on Extended Logarithmic Mean Division Index Decomposition. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (1):226.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJian Liu; Qingshan Yang; Yu Zhang; Wen Sun; Yiming Xu. 2019. "Analysis of CO2 Emissions in China’s Manufacturing Industry Based on Extended Logarithmic Mean Division Index Decomposition." Sustainability 11, no. 1: 226.
Modern agriculture contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions in several ways. From the perspective of sustainability assessment, it is not enough to evaluate mitigation measures that rely only on emissions reductions. In this article, we use the method of decoupling analysis to construct a decoupling index based on carbon footprint and crop yield and evaluate the relationship between crop production and greenhouse gas emissions using the most modern grain production base in China as a case study. The results indicate that a weak but variable decoupling trend occurred from 2001 to 2015 and that each branch achieved on average a weak decoupling across the study period. In addition, rice production constituted 80% of the regional carbon footprint in a crop’s life cycle. The results of our analysis of rice production show that weak decoupling was the most common outcome but was not consistent because a weak coupling occurred in 2015. Each branch on average achieved a weak decoupling except for the SH branch. Our research indicates that high agricultural material inputs with low utilization efficiency contributed to the poor relationship between crop production and greenhouse gas emissions in the study area. Fertilizer, especially N fertilizer, was an important contributor to the total greenhouse gas emissions of crop production. As a supplement to carbon footprint assessment, this decoupling analysis helps local decision-makers diagnose the level of green growth, identify key options to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, and adopt more targeted interventions towards sustainable agriculture.
Yu Zhang; Xiaojiao Zou; Caifen Xu; Qingshan Yang. Decoupling Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Crop Production: A Case Study in the Heilongjiang Land Reclamation Area, China. Energies 2018, 11, 1480 .
AMA StyleYu Zhang, Xiaojiao Zou, Caifen Xu, Qingshan Yang. Decoupling Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Crop Production: A Case Study in the Heilongjiang Land Reclamation Area, China. Energies. 2018; 11 (6):1480.
Chicago/Turabian StyleYu Zhang; Xiaojiao Zou; Caifen Xu; Qingshan Yang. 2018. "Decoupling Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Crop Production: A Case Study in the Heilongjiang Land Reclamation Area, China." Energies 11, no. 6: 1480.
Modern agriculture often leads to nonpoint source pollution. From the perspective of a decoupling analysis, this research evaluates the relationship between crop production and agricultural nonpoint source pollution (via fertilizer application), using the Heilongjiang land reclamation area as a case study. As it is the largest commodity grain base and green food base in China, more than 80% of water pollution in this area comes from fertilizer application. This study adopts an export coefficient model to hindcast nitrogen loss delivered to surface water via fertilizer application and conduct a further analysis of decoupling agricultural nonpoint source pollution from crop production. The results indicated that weak decoupling frequently occurred. However, this tendency was not steady in the period 2001–2012, and weak decoupling was typical in each branch based on the average value. Regarding the example of decoupling agricultural nonpoint source pollution from rice production, weak decoupling occurred more often, but this tendency was not steady over time. In addition, expansive coupling occurred in 2006, 2010 and 2012, and there were no definite signs of it improving. All branches, except for the Suihua branch, reached the degree of weak decoupling. A basic fact is that a decoupling tendency and environmental deterioration coexist in both the past and present. The decoupling analysis will contribute to localized strategies for sustainable agricultural development.
Qingshan Yang; Jie Liu; Yu Zhang. Decoupling Agricultural Nonpoint Source Pollution from Crop Production: A Case Study of Heilongjiang Land Reclamation Area, China. Sustainability 2017, 9, 1024 .
AMA StyleQingshan Yang, Jie Liu, Yu Zhang. Decoupling Agricultural Nonpoint Source Pollution from Crop Production: A Case Study of Heilongjiang Land Reclamation Area, China. Sustainability. 2017; 9 (6):1024.
Chicago/Turabian StyleQingshan Yang; Jie Liu; Yu Zhang. 2017. "Decoupling Agricultural Nonpoint Source Pollution from Crop Production: A Case Study of Heilongjiang Land Reclamation Area, China." Sustainability 9, no. 6: 1024.
Crop production consumes and pollutes large volumes of water. Previous literature predominantly discusses a single indicator of agricultural water consumption or environmental impact from crop production. This study integrates a water footprint method into a decoupling analysis. The water footprint method uses multidimensional indicators to illustrate agricultural water consumed or polluted in crop production according to its elements and sources. Using the largest commodity grain in China during the years 2000–2009 as a case study, this research focuses on the analysis of decoupling agricultural water consumption and environmental impact from crop production based on two indexes, DY−WC and DY−WEI. The results show the following: (1) a strong decoupling trend occurred more in the analysis of decoupling agricultural water consumption from crop production; (2) weak decoupling occurred more often in the analysis of decoupling agricultural water environmental impact from crop production.
Zhang Yu; Yang Qingshan. Decoupling agricultural water consumption and environmental impact from crop production based on the water footprint method: A case study for the Heilongjiang land reclamation area, China. Ecological Indicators 2014, 43, 29 -35.
AMA StyleZhang Yu, Yang Qingshan. Decoupling agricultural water consumption and environmental impact from crop production based on the water footprint method: A case study for the Heilongjiang land reclamation area, China. Ecological Indicators. 2014; 43 ():29-35.
Chicago/Turabian StyleZhang Yu; Yang Qingshan. 2014. "Decoupling agricultural water consumption and environmental impact from crop production based on the water footprint method: A case study for the Heilongjiang land reclamation area, China." Ecological Indicators 43, no. : 29-35.