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Empirical Economics

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17-07-2019

Environmental satisfaction among residents in Chinese cities

Authors: Chunhua Wang, Changdong Zhang, Yong Wang

Published in: Empirical Economics | Issue 5/2020

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Abstract

In recent years, the deterioration of the environment has become a top concern in China. This paper investigates the factors that influence the satisfaction of urban residents with the local air and water quality in Chinese cities by using a unique dataset collected through an interview survey with about 25,000 participants. The study shows that a respondent’s true rating could be systematically different from her stated choice in the survey. Empirical results reveal that respondents have a tendency to underreport their level of satisfaction. In addition, a respondent’s true level of satisfaction is more likely to be lower if the individual is male and younger. Educational attainment is also correlated with a respondent’s level of satisfaction.

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The survey was conducted by universities, not any government agencies. It did not include any information on who pays for improving environmental quality. However, respondents may believe that their ratings are a part of social opinions which might affect government action.

See the first paragraph of this section for government expenditure for environmental protection. To improve environmental quality, China’s government has been taking additional measures such as regulating industrial activities (Wang et al. 2018), driving restrictions (Chen et al. 2013; Li 2018) and other command and control approaches (Hering and Poncet 2014). These policies may affect incomes and welfare for some residents, and thus influence how residents respond in the survey.

The survey has also been conducted in the three subsequent years. However, we do not have access to the data for those years.

Except Nanning of Guangxi, four other autonomous regions’ capital cities and Xining of Qinghai province were excluded from the sample because of potential communication difficulties due to the use of minority languages in the cities.

Suzhou is included in the sample because it is highly industrialized and the size of its economy is equal to or even larger than many provincial capitals.

For example, the question on air quality in the city is: “What is your rating on air quality in the city you live? Choose one number between 1 and 10 (from the least satisfactory to the most satisfactory):”

It is not difficult to model more than three alternatives.

There are no choice-specific explanatory variables in our data sample. The discrete choice models presented in this paper can be extended to consider such variables.

Air quality is determined by SO₂ and many other types of pollutants. However, the authors do not have data on ambient levels of other air pollutants except SO₂.

For example, environmental quality, socioeconomic characteristics, and natural conditions for each of the cities. Note that, in the present study, we assume that respondents from the same city have the same perception of environmental quality in the city.

Results are available from the authors upon request.

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Title: Environmental satisfaction among residents in Chinese cities
Authors: Chunhua Wang
Changdong Zhang
Yong Wang
Publication date: 17-07-2019
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: Empirical Economics / Issue 5/2020
Print ISSN: 0377-7332
Electronic ISSN: 1435-8921
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00181-019-01735-z

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