Spatial Differentiation and Influencing Factors of Water Pollution-Intensive Industries in the Yellow River Basin, China

The structure adjustment and layout optimization of water pollution-intensive industries (WPIIs) are crucial to the health and sustainable development of the watershed life community. Based on micro-detailed data of Chinese industrial enterprises from 2003 to 2013, we analyzed and revealed the spatial differentiation characteristics and influencing factors of WPIIs in the Yellow River Basin (YRB) from 2003 to 2013 by constructing a water pollution-intensive index and integrating kernel density estimation and geographically weighted regression models from a watershed perspective. The results show that: (1) the scale of WPIIs in the YRB showed a growth trend from 2003 to 2013, and the output value increased from 442.5 billion yuan in 2003 to 6192.4 billion yuan in 2013, an increase of 13 times. (2) WPIIs are generally distributed in an east-west direction, and their spatial distribution is river-side, with intensive distribution in the downstream areas and important tributaries such as Fen River and Wei River. (3) WPIIs are generally clustered in high density downstream, but the spatial clustering characteristics of different industries varied significantly. The chemical industries, paper industries, etc. were mainly concentrated in downstream areas. Processing of food from agricultural products was distributed in the upper, middle and downstream areas. Resource-intensive industries such as coal and oil were concentrated in energy-rich midstream areas. (4) Natural resource endowment was the main factor affecting the distribution of WPIIs in the midstream and upstream areas of the basin, and technological innovation played a significant role in the distribution of downstream industries. The level of economic development and industrial historical foundation promoted the geographical concentration of industries. The scale of wastewater discharge and the proximity of rivers influenced the concentration of industries in the midstream and downstream.

Brazil, internal migration

Internal migration has been decisive in the process of rapid urbanization that has occurred throughout Brazil in recent decades. The usual explanation for this movement references poverty and the lack of job opportunities in the northeast combined with the concentration of industries in the southeast, mainly in the state of São Paulo. A process of spatial deconcentration has occurred since the 1970s. Internal migration is no longer predominantly a rural-to-urban phenomenon. Demographic growth has decreased in the Brazilian regions, due to diminishing fertility rates and changes in migration patterns. The new migration patterns are characterized by a relative decline in the number of people on the move. The decrease in population flows seems to indicate the disruption of networks between some locations. Current migrants tend to be more qualified than in the past; this characteristic contributes to decentralized development.

Regional economic growth in Hungary 1998–2005: What does really matter in clusters?

Although industry clusters are major targets of regional economic development in less developed regions as well, we still need a deeper understanding of how the spatial clustering of firms generates dynamics in lagging regions. These latter environments may differ from the typical cluster policy examples that are usually specialised global centres of dynamically growing industries. Using census-type data of Hungarian firms, we test the effect of major cluster indicators — regional specialisation and spatial concentration of industries — and the impact of FDI on regional productivity and employment growth in Hungary. Our results suggest that regional specialisation does not affect regional growth, while the spatial concentration of industries is found to influence productivity and employment growth with an overwhelmingly negative effect. Furthermore, regional employment growth is associated negatively with the initial level of regional specialisation. Results suggest that Hungary has evolved into a dual economy in which previously specialised regions and geographically concentrated industries have lost their pace, while the main factor that favoured regional economic growth was the presence of large foreign companies. Therefore, economic policies fostering regional specialisation and the spatial concentration of industries — such as cluster policy — may have minor effects unless the interaction of foreign-owned and domestic companies is encouraged.