Exploring spatial and temporal distributions of air quality in China from 2013 to 2017

Abstract

In recent years, severe and persistent air pollution episodes in China have drawn wide public concern. It is necessary to analyse and evaluate the current status of air quality of China, which is significant for sustainable urbanization and environment protection. In this study, we investigate the air quality of the key 74 cities in China from 2013 to 2017 based on the data from the Ministry of Environmental Protection of the People's Republic of China. With the use of ArcGIS and Stata, we identify the spatial correlation and agglomeration of the air quality. The significant value of Moran's I test shows positive autocorrelation between the cities and verifies the spatial spill over effect of the air pollution. From the temporal dimension, we find the seasonal variations and an overall better-off trend of air quality. This improvement over the past year benefits from the strict regulations and governance from both central and local government. Our research provides an updated measurement and detailed illustration of the air condition in China. With the exploration of spatial and temporal distributions of air quality, the research findings facilitate the future governance and guidelines for sustainable environmental development.