Measuring the regional non-observed economy in China with nighttime lights

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Menggen Chen ◽  
Shuai Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Eastern Region ◽  
Middle Region ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Nighttime Lights ◽  
Defense Meteorological Satellite Program ◽  
Nighttime Light Data ◽  
Nighttime Light ◽  
Average Size ◽  
Meteorological Satellite

PurposeThe non-observed economy (NOE) is a pervasive phenomenon worldwide, especially in developing countries, but the size of the NOE and its contributions to the overall economy are usually unknown. This paper presents an estimation of the average size of the NOE for the 31 provincial regions in China between 1992 and 2013.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program/Operational Linescan System (DMSP/OLS) nighttime light data combined with 11 existing surveys on or measurements of NOE for 191 countries or regions throughout the world, to measure the size of the NOE.FindingsThe results show that the NOE share is unevenly distributed among China's provincial regions, with the smallest being 3.19% for Beijing and the largest being 69.71% for Ningxia. The national average is 43.11%, while the figures for the eastern region, middle region, northeastern region and western region are 39.3%, 47.6%, 44.7% and 43.6%, respectively. The NOE estimates are negatively correlated with the measured gross domestic product (GDP) and GDP per capita, which suggests that developed regions tend to have less NOE.Originality/valueThe nighttime lights are used to measure the NOE for China's provincial regions. Compared with traditional databases, one of the prominent features of nighttime lights is its objectivity, as there is little human interference; therefore, it can be used to achieve more accurate results.

scholarly journals Identifying and Correcting Signal Shift in DMSP-OLS Data

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (14) ◽  
pp. 2219
Author(s):  
Konstantin Ash ◽  
Kevin Mazur
Keyword(s):  
Recent Analysis ◽  
Control Points ◽  
Public Goods Provision ◽  
Defense Meteorological Satellite Program ◽  
Nighttime Light Data ◽  
Nighttime Light ◽  
Social Scientific ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Meteorological Satellite ◽  
Scientific Fields

Defense Meteorological Satellite Program Operational Linescan System (DMSP-OLS) nighttime light data has become a key tool of the environmental and social scientific fields, but suffers from several validity problems. We highlight one such problem—shifts in the digital number position in DMSP-OLS composites in the same satellite. We present techniques for identifying the problem, using moving window raster correlation and visual inspection, and for solving the problem, by assigning control points and manually shifting raster positions. To illustrate the importance of accounting for signal shift, we re-examine a recent analysis of the relationship between public goods provision and patterns of violence in the 2011 Syrian uprising and ensuing civil war. We find the statistical results change considerably when correcting for signal shift. We attribute this change to the systematic undercounting of light intensity in heavily populated areas. We close by identifying the types of research that would most benefit from our correction and suggest future refinements to our technique through automation.

Assessing nighttime lights for mapping the urban areas of 50 cities across the globe

2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (6) ◽  
pp. 1097-1114
Author(s):  
Hasi Bagan ◽  
Habura Borjigin ◽  
Yoshiki Yamagata
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Comprehensive Evaluation ◽  
Grid Cell ◽  
Small Cities ◽  
Large Cities ◽  
Nighttime Lights ◽  
Defense Meteorological Satellite Program ◽  
Nighttime Light ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Meteorological Satellite

Nighttime data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program Operational Linescan System have been widely used to map urban/built-up areas (hereafter referred to as “built-up area”), but to date there has not been a geographically comprehensive evaluation of the effectiveness of using nighttime lights data to map urban areas. We created accurate, convenient, and scalable grid cells based on Defense Meteorological Satellite Program/Operational Linescan System nighttime light pixels. We then calculated the density of Landsat-derived built-up areas within each grid cell. We explored the relationship between Defense Meteorological Satellite Program/Operational Linescan System nighttime lights data and the density of built-up areas to assess the utility of nighttime lights for mapping urban areas in 50 cities across the globe. We found that the brightness of nighttime lights was only in moderate agreement with the density of built-up areas; moreover, correlations between nighttime lights and Landsat-derived built-up areas were weak. Even in relatively sparsely populated urban regions (where the density of the built-up area is less than 20%), the highest correlation coefficient ( R2) was only 0.4. Furthermore, nighttime lights showed lighted areas that extended beyond the area of large cities, and nighttime lights reduced the area of small cities. The results suggest that it is difficult to use the regression model to calibrate the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program/Operational Linescan System nighttime lights to fit urban built up areas.

scholarly journals Assessing the Ability of Luojia 1-01 Imagery to Detect Feeble Nighttime Lights

Sensors ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (17) ◽  
pp. 3708 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li ◽  
Liu ◽  
Chen ◽  
Sun
Keyword(s):  
Infrared Imaging ◽  
Detection Accuracy ◽  
Application Research ◽  
Threshold Method ◽  
Minimum Area ◽  
Nighttime Lights ◽  
Nighttime Light ◽  
Data Source ◽  
Meteorological Satellite ◽  
Cutoff Threshold

The Luojia1-01 (LJ1-01) satellite launched on June 2, 2018 provides a new option for nighttime light (NTL) application research. In this paper, four types of human settlements, such as cities, counties, towns and villages, are sampled to evaluate the potential of LJ1-01 to detect feeble NTL by comparing with the NTL images from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program’s Operational Linescan System (DMSP/OLS) and the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership Satellite. First, the landscape indices and cutoff threshold method are applied to enhance signal-noise ratio (SNR). Then, the detection accuracy of samples is evaluated to determine the optimal cutoff threshold for each NTL data source. After that, the spatial correspondence of different NTL images and the area consistency between the samples and NTL footprints are compared. Finally, after the discussion of feeble NTL detection and the influence of clouds, moonlight and image composites, it can be concluded that LJ1-01 is more suitable for detection feeble NTL objects, while great importance should be attached to the measures to eliminate the noise in LJ1-01 image and make LJ1-01 more widely used: (1) In the study area, a suitable cutoff threshold of LJ1-01 image can be set to 0.1 nano-Wcm−2sr−1, which is lower than that of VIIRS image (0.3 nano-Wcm−2sr−1), and this enables LJ1-01 to reserve more information of NTL, especially the feeble NTL. Moreover, the minimum area that can be identified by NTL footprints from LJ1-01 is 0.02 km2, while that of VIIRS and DMSP are 0.3 km2 and 4.5 km2, respectively. (2) The cutoff threshold method can identify the range of NTL with more noise, but cannot eliminate the noise separately. The filtering method and the image composition method may play more important role in the applications of LJ1-01 data.

Political Dynasties and Economic Development: Evidence using Nighttime Light in the Philippines

2021 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 215-261
Author(s):  
Ludigil Garces ◽  
Karl Jandoc ◽  
Mary Grace Lu
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Political Competition ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Economic Effects ◽  
Checks And Balances ◽  
Weak Institutions ◽  
Defense Meteorological Satellite Program ◽  
Nighttime Light Data ◽  
Nighttime Light ◽  
Relationship Of

Abstract Political dynasties, by limiting political competition, are thought to exacerbate corruption, poverty, and abuse of power. This paper examines the economic effects of the presence of political dynasties in Philippine cities and municipalities, taking into account possible channels in the local dynastic cycle – the framework in which politicians try to balance their goals to perform well for their constituents, to divert resources for personal gain, and to continue to be in power. Due to the lack of extensive income accounts or other economic indicators in finer geographical units (i.e., city or municipality level), we use the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program-Operational Linescan System (DMSP-OLS) nighttime light data as our proxy for economic activity. Using a panel of Philippine municipalities and cities, we find that, in general, the relationship of political dynasties on economic performance is weak. However, we find that a higher share of economic expenditures leads to lower economic development in municipalities where the mayor, governor, and congressman belong to the same clan. We see this as an indication of weak institutions of checks and balances in localities with dynasties.

scholarly journals Are Karst Rocky Desertification Areas Affected by Increasing Human Activity in Southern China? An Empirical Analysis from Nighttime Light Data

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaifang Shi ◽  
Qingyuan Yang ◽  
Yuanqing Li
Keyword(s):  
Human Activities ◽  
Socioeconomic Development ◽  
Southern China ◽  
Annual Growth Rate ◽  
Karst Rocky Desertification ◽  
Rocky Desertification ◽  
Nighttime Lights ◽  
Nighttime Light Data ◽  
Nighttime Light ◽  
Night Lights

Due to remarkable socioeconomic development, an increasing number of karst rocky desertification areas have been severely affected by human activities in southern China. Effectively analyzing human activities in karst rocky desertification areas is a critical prerequisite for managing and restoring areas with tremendous negative impacts from desertification. At present, a timely and accurate way of quantifying the spatiotemporal variations of human activities in karst rocky desertification areas is still lacking. In this communication, we attempted to quantify human activities from the corrected NPP-VIIRS nighttime light data from 2012 to 2018 based on statistical analysis. The results show that a significant increase of night lights could be clearly identified during the study period. The total nighttime lights (TL) related to severe karst rocky desertification (S) were particularly concentrated in Guizhou and Yunnan. The nighttime light intensity (LI) related to the S areas in Chongqing were the strongest due to its rapid socioeconomic development. The annual growth rate of nighttime lights (GL) has been slow or even negative in Guangdong because of its various karst rocky desertification restoration programs. This communication could provide an effective approach for quantifying human activities and provide useful information about where prompt attention is required for policy-making on the restoration of the karst rocky desertification areas.

Prospects, determinants and profitability of aquaculture insurance among fish farmers in the Eastern Region of Ghana

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Oppong Mensah ◽  
Ernest Christlieb Amrago ◽  
Emmanuel T.D. Mensah ◽  
Jeffery Kofi Asare ◽  
Samuel Afotey Anang
Keyword(s):  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Return On Investment ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Institutional Factors ◽  
Eastern Region ◽  
Alternative Source ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Loss Recovery ◽  
Aquaculture Industry

PurposeAquaculture insurance has the potential of redressing climate-change because it serves as an alternative source of finance in the event of unforeseen circumstances. To this end, the authors examine the prospects, determinants and profitability of aquaculture insurance among fish farmers in the Eastern region of Ghana.Design/methodology/approachA total of 140 fish farmers were sampled for the study. Thematic analysis was used to determine perceived aquaculture insurance prospects. The Heckman's two-stage model, profitability index (PI) and return on investment (ROI) was employed to respectively determine the factors influencing aquaculture insurance participation and amount intensity and the profitability of aquaculture.FindingsThe thematic analysis revealed three themes on the perception of aquaculture insurance prospects: loss recovery, farm renovation and promotes agriculture. Different sets of demographic and institutional factors have varying influences on aquaculture insurance participation and amount intensity. Profitability index (PI) and return on investment (ROI) were respectively 2.07 and 3.2%.Originality/valueThe research provides relevant information on perceived aquaculture insurance prospects, aquaculture insurance participation, and amount intensity and profitability of aquaculture which can contribute to enhancing aquaculture insurance and the aquaculture industry in Ghana.

scholarly journals Filtering the NPP-VIIRS Nighttime Light Data for Improved Detection of Settlements in Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (24) ◽  
pp. 3002
Author(s):  
Xiaotian Yuan ◽  
Li Jia ◽  
Massimo Menenti ◽  
Jie Zhou ◽  
Qiting Chen
Keyword(s):  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Infrared Imaging ◽  
Recognition Rate ◽  
European Space Agency ◽  
Environmental Research ◽  
Equatorial Africa ◽  
Nighttime Lights ◽  
Nighttime Light Data ◽  
Nighttime Light

Observing and understanding changes in Africa is a hotspot in global ecological environmental research since the early 1970s. As possible causes of environmental degradation, frequent droughts and human activities attracted wide attention. Remote sensing of nighttime light provides an effective way to map human activities and assess their intensity. To identify settlements more effectively, this study focused on nighttime light in the northern Equatorial Africa and Sahel settlements to propose a new method, namely, the patches filtering method (PFM) to identify nighttime lights related to settlements from the National Polar-orbiting Partnership Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (NPP-VIIRS) monthly nighttime light data by separating signal components induced by biomass burning, thereby generating a new annual image in 2016. The results show that PFM is useful for improving the quality of NPP-VIIRS monthly nighttime light data. Settlement lights were effectively separated from biomass burning lights, in addition to capturing the seasonality of biomass burning. We show that the new 2016 nighttime light image can very effectively identify even small settlements, notwithstanding their fragmentation and unstable power supply. We compared the image with earlier NPP-VIIRS annual nighttime light data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Center for Environmental Information (NCEI) for 2016 and the Sentinel-2 prototype Land Cover 20 m 2016 map of Africa released by the European Space Agency (ESA-S2-AFRICA-LC20). We found that the new annual nighttime light data performed best among the three datasets in capturing settlements, with a high recognition rate of 61.8%, and absolute superiority for settlements of 2.5 square kilometers or less. This shows that the method separates biomass burning signals very effectively, while retaining the relatively stable, although dim, lights of small settlements. The new 2016 annual image demonstrates good performance in identifying human settlements in sparsely populated areas toward a better understanding of human activities.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document