Spatial Association Effect of Haze Pollution in Cheng-Yu Urban Agglomeration

This study takes a network perspective to examine the spatial spillover effects of haze pollution in Cheng-Yu urban agglomeration which is the fourth largest urban agglomeration and a comprehensive demonstration zone of new urbanization in China. Firstly, we use Granger causality test to construct haze pollution spatial association network, and then we apply social network analysis to reveal the structural characteristics of this network. The results show that: haze pollution in Cheng-Yu urban agglomeration is a complex multithreaded network. Chongqing, Chengdu, Guang’an, Luzhou, Deyang and Nanchong are the centers of the network, sending and transmitting the most relationships. The haze pollution spatial association network can be divided into net beneficiary block, net overflow block, bilateral overflow block and broker block. These four blocks present obvious geographical distribution characteristics and are partly related to the difference of urbanization. The above results contribute by illustrating the current spatial spillover situation of haze pollution and provide a theoretical foundation for the government that it should simultaneously consider cities’ statues and their spatial spillover effects in the network rather than simple geographic proximity when formulating future haze pollution control policies in urban agglomeration.