Abstract
The crucial role of internet development in ecological governance has been widely recognized, but there has been little research focusing on the relationship between internet development and urban eco-resilience. Using panel data from 282 China’s prefecture-level cities between 2003 and 2020, this study comprehensively investigates internet development’ impact on urban eco-resilience, quantifying its direct and spatial spillover effects, and examining its mechanisms, heterogeneities, nonlinear and exogenous policy shock effect. The findings indicate: (1) Internet development can boost urban eco-resilience but have negative spillover effects on surrounding cities, as confirmed by various robustness checks. (2) Significant heterogeneities exist in internet development’s impact on urban eco-resilience. Non-resource-based cities benefit, while resource-based cities show limited effect. Non-environmentally-focused and central cities benefit more from internet development compared to environmentally-focused and peripheral cities. Surrounding cities of non-resource-based and central cities experience weakened eco-resilience due to internet development, but the negative effects are less pronounced in resource-based and peripheral cities. (3) Green innovation, industrial structure upgrading, and resource allocation optimization are verified as three key channels for enhancing urban eco-resilience through internet development. (4) The relation between internet development and urban eco-resilience exhibits a nonlinear pattern, and the exogenous policy shock effect analysis also confirms the robustness of the baseline regression results. The conclusions above contribute valuable insights into the strategies and approaches that can be adopted to leverage the potential of internet development in fostering urban eco-resilience for China and other developing countries.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
Not applicable.
References
Anselin L, Gallo JL, Jayet H (2008) Spatial panel econometrics. The econometrics of panel data: Fundamentals and recent developments in theory and practice, pp 625–660
Bai C, Yan H, Yin S, Feng C, Wei Q (2021) Exploring the development trend of internet finance in China: perspective from club convergence. North Am J Econ Financ 58:101505
Baker AC, Larcker DF, Wang CCY (2022) How much should we trust staggered difference-in-differences estimates? J Financ Econ 144(2):370–381
Baron RM, Kenny DA (1986) The moderator–mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. J Pers Soc Psychol 51(6):1173
Cai X, Lu Y, Wu M, Yu L (2016) Does environmental regulation drive away inbound foreign direct investment? Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment in China. J Dev Econ 123:73–85
Cao J, Li M, Deo RC, Adamowski JF, Cerdà A, Feng Q, Liu M, Zhang J, Zhu G, Zhang X (2018) Comparison of social-ecological resilience between two grassland management patterns driven by grassland land contract policy in the Maqu, Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Land Use Policy 74:88–96
Cengiz D, Dube A, Lindner A, Zipperer B (2019) The effect of minimum wages on low-wage jobs. Q J Econ 134(3):1405–1454
Chaffin BC, Garmestani AS, Angeler DG, Herrmann DL, Stow CA, Nyström M, Sendzimir J, Hopton ME, Kolasa J, Allen CR (2016) Biological invasions, ecological resilience and adaptive governance. J Environ Manage 183:399–407
Chen YT, Wang HM (2022) Industrial structure, environmental pressure and ecological resilience of resource-based cities-based on panel data of 24 prefecture-level cities in China. Front Environ Sci 10:885976
Czernich N, Falck O, Kretschmer T, Woessmann L (2011) Broadband infrastructure and economic growth. Econ J 121(552):505–532
Desjardins E, Barker G, Lindo Z, Dieleman C, Dussault AC (2015) Promoting resilience. Q Rev Biol 90(2):147–165
Ding W, Liu J (2023) Nonlinear and spatial spillover effects of urbanization on air pollution and ecological resilience in the Yellow River Basin. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30(15):43229–43244
Dinlersoz EM, Yorukoglu M (2012) Information and industry dynamics. Am Econ Rev 102(2):884–913
Fang Z, Razzaq A, Mohsin M, Irfan M (2022) Spatial spillovers and threshold effects of internet development and entrepreneurship on green innovation efficiency in China. Technol Soc 68:101844
Feng Y, Nie C, Zhang D (2021) The effect of broadband infrastructure construction on urban innovation capacity. Stud Sci Sci 39(11):2089–2100
Feng Y, Chen Z, Nie C (2023) The effect of broadband infrastructure construction on urban green innovation: Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment in China. Economic Analysis and Policy 77:581–598
Ge T, Cai X, Song X (2022) How does renewable energy technology innovation affect the upgrading of industrial structure? The moderating effect of green finance. Renew Energy 197:1106–1114
Han Y, Zhang F, Huang L, Peng K, Wang X (2021) Does industrial upgrading promote eco-efficiency? ─A panel space estimation based on Chinese evidence. Energy Policy 154:112286
Hao Y, Guo Y, Li S, Luo S, Jiang X, Shen Z, Wu H (2022a) Towards achieving the sustainable development goal of industry: how does industrial agglomeration affect air pollution? Innovat Green Dev 1(1):100003
Hao Y, Li Y, Guo Y, Chai J, Yang C, Wu H (2022b) Digitalization and electricity consumption: Does internet development contribute to the reduction in electricity intensity in China? Energy Policy 164:112912
He SY, Lee J, Zhou T, Wu D (2017) Shrinking cities and resource-based economy: the economic restructuring in China’s mining cities. Cities 60:75–83
Hjort J, Poulsen J (2019) The arrival of fast internet and employment in Africa. Am Econ Rev 109(3):1032–1079
Ho K-C, Shen X, Yan C, Hu X (2023) Influence of green innovation on disclosure quality: Mediating role of media attention. Technol Forecast Soc Chang 188:122314
Holling CS (1973) Resilience and stability of ecological systems. Annu Rev Ecol Syst 4(1):1–23
Hong W, Guo R, Li X, Liao C (2022) Measuring urban ecological network resilience: a disturbance scenario simulation method. Cities 131:104057
Hu XY, Guo PF (2022) A spatial effect study on digital economy affecting the green total factor productivity in the Yangtze River Economic Belt. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29(60):90868–90886
Huang Y, Hong T, Ma T (2020) Urban network externalities, agglomeration economies and urban economic growth. Cities 107:102882
Huynh CM, Hoang HH (2019) Foreign direct investment and air pollution in Asian countries: does institutional quality matter? Appl Econ Lett 26(17):1388–1392
Iqbal J, Khan M, Talha M, Farman H, Jan B, Muhammad A, Khattak HA (2018) A generic internet of things architecture for controlling electrical energy consumption in smart homes. Sustain Cities Soc 43:443–450
Ke X, Wang X, Guo H, Yang C, Zhou Q, Mougharbel A (2021) Urban ecological security evaluation and spatial correlation research––-based on data analysis of 16 cities in Hubei Province of China. J Clean Prod 311:127613
Kennedy C, Ibrahim N, Hoornweg D (2014) Low-carbon infrastructure strategies for cities. Nat Clim Chang 4(5):343–346
Kong M, Wan H, Wu Q (2022) Does manufacturing industry agglomeration aggravate regional pollution?—Evidence from 271 prefecture-level cities in China. Glob Nest J 24:135–144
Koutroumpis P (2009) The economic impact of broadband on growth: a simultaneous approach. Telecommun Policy 33(9):471–485
LeSage JP (2008) An introduction to spatial econometrics. Rev Ind Econ 123:19–44
Li M, Du W (2021) Can Internet development improve the energy efficiency of firms: empirical evidence from China. Energy 237:121590
Li L, Hong XF, Wang J (2020) Evaluating the impact of clean energy consumption and factor allocation on China’s air pollution: a spatial econometric approach. Energy 195:116842
Li QY, Zeng FE, Liu SH, Yang MA, Xu F (2021) The effects of China’s sustainable development policy for resource-based cities on local industrial transformation. Resour Policy 71:101940
Li D, Chen Y, Miao J (2022a) Does ICT create a new driving force for manufacturing?—Evidence from Chinese manufacturing firms. Telecommun Policy 46(1):102229
Li M, Li Q, Wang YA, Chen W (2022b) Spatial path and determinants of carbon transfer in the process of inter industrial transfer in China. Environ Impact Assess Rev 95:106810
Li X, Shao X, Chang T, Albu LL (2022c) Does digital finance promote the green innovation of China’s listed companies? Energy Economics 114:106254
Li D, Yang WP, Huang RY (2023) The multidimensional differences and driving forces of ecological environment resilience in China. Environ Impact Assess Rev 98:106954
Liao Z, Zhang L (2023) Spatio-temporal analysis and simulation of urban ecological resilience in Guangzhou City based on the FLUS model. Sci Rep 13(1):7400
Liao L, Ma E, Long H, Peng X (2023) Land use transition and its ecosystem resilience response in China during 1990–2020. Land 12(1):141
Lieder M, Rashid A (2016) Towards circular economy implementation: a comprehensive review in context of manufacturing industry. J Clean Prod 115:36–51
Lin B, Zhou Y (2021) Does the Internet development affect energy and carbon emission performance? Sustain Product Consump 28:1–10
Liu X, Li YC, Chen XH, Liu J (2022) Evaluation of low carbon city pilot policy effect on carbon abatement in China: An empirical evidence based on time-varying DID model. Cities 123:103582
Liu X, Li Z, Wang T, Cheng S, Zheng X, Jia L, Liu B, Li J, Miao Z (2023a) The change of ecosystem resilience and its response to economic factors in Yulin China. Environmental Research Communications. 5(4):045006
Liu Y, Cui L, Xiong Y, Yao X (2023b) Does the development of the Internet improve the allocative efficiency of production factors? Evidence from surveys of Chinese manufacturing firms. Struct Chang Econ Dyn 66:161–174
Liu L, He J (2023) Does Fintech ease financing constraints for SMEs? Evidence from 593 SMEs in China. Finance Research Letters, 103870
Long R, Li H, Wu M, Li W (2021) Dynamic evaluation of the green development level of China’s coal-resource-based cities using the TOPSIS method. Resour Policy 74:102415
Luo Q, Hu H, Feng D, He X (2022) How does broadband infrastructure promote entrepreneurship in China: Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment. Telecommun Policy 46(10):102440
Luo Y, Lu Z, Wu C (2023) Can internet development accelerate the green innovation efficiency convergence: evidence from China. Technol Forecast Soc Chang 189:122352
Ma D, Zhu Q (2022) Innovation in emerging economies: research on the digital economy driving high-quality green development. J Bus Res 145:801–813
Marmura S (2008) A net advantage? The internet, grassroots activism and American Middle-Eastern policy. New Media Soc 10(2):247–271
Meijers H (2014) Does the internet generate economic growth, international trade, or both? IEEP 11:137–163
Miao Z, Chen X (2022) Combining parametric and non-parametric approach, variable & source-specific productivity changes and rebound effect of energy & environment. Technol Forecast Soc Chang 175:121368
Miao Z, Guo A, Chen X, Zhu P (2022a) Network technology, whole-process performance, and variable-specific decomposition analysis: solutions for energy-economy-environment nexus. IEEE Trans Eng Manag 71:2184–2201
Miao Z, Zhang Y, Liu S, Chen X, Baležentis T (2022b) Heterogeneous strategy and performance decomposition: Energy-economy-environment nexus in the light of natural & managerial disposability. Environ Impact Assess Rev 95:106777
Moyer JD, Hughes BB (2012) ICTs: Do they contribute to increased carbon emissions? Technol Forecast Soc Chang 79(5):919–931
Nathwani J, Lu X, Wu C, Fu G, Qin X (2019) Quantifying security and resilience of Chinese coastal urban ecosystems. Sci Total Environ 672:51–60
Pan M, Zhao X, Lov K, Rosak-Szyrocka J, Mentel G, Truskolaski T (2023) Internet development and carbon emission-reduction in the era of digitalization: Where will resource-based cities go? Resour Policy 81:103345
Peng X (2020) Strategic interaction of environmental regulation and green productivity growth in China: green innovation or pollution refuge? Sci Total Environ 732:139200
Peng L, Wu H, Li Z (2023) Spatial–temporal evolutions of ecological environment quality and ecological resilience pattern in the middle and lower reaches of the yangtze river economic belt. Remote Sensing 15(2):430
Ren S, Hao Y, Xu L, Wu H, Ba N (2021) Digitalization and energy: how does internet development affect China’s energy consumption? Energy Economics 98:105220
Ren S, Li L, Han Y, Hao Y, Wu H (2022) The emerging driving force of inclusive green growth: Does digital economy agglomeration work? Bus Strateg Environ 31(4):1656–1678
Ren SY, Hao Y, Wu HT (2023) Digitalization and environment governance: does internet development reduce environmental pollution? J Environ Planning Manage 66(7):1533–1562
Röller L-H, Waverman L (2001) Telecommunications infrastructure and economic development: A simultaneous approach. American Economic Review 91(4):909–923
Shi CC, Zhu XP, Wu HW, Li ZH (2022) Assessment of urban ecological resilience and Its influencing factors: a case study of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration of China. Land 11(6):921
Solow R (1987) We'd better watch out. New York Times Book Review 36
Sun L, Abraham S (2021) Estimating dynamic treatment effects in event studies with heterogeneous treatment effects. J Econometr 225(2):175–199
Sun J, Wang J, Wang T, Zhang T (2019) Urbanization, economic growth, and environmental pollution Partial differential analysis based on the spatial Durbin model. Manag Environ Qual 30(2):483–494
Tang Y, Wang Y (2023) Impact of digital economy on ecological resilience of resource-based cities: spatial spillover and mechanism. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30(14):41299–41318
Tang C, Xue Y, Wu H, Irfan M, Hao Y (2022) How does telecommunications infrastructure affect eco-efficiency? Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment in China. Technol Soc 69:101963
Tian Y, Pang J (2022) The role of internet development on green total-factor productivity—An empirical analysis based on 109 cities in Yangtze River economic belt. J Clean Prod 378:134415
Tobler WR (1970) A computer movie simulating urban growth in the Detroit region. Econ Geogr 46(sup1):234–240
Tong YJ, Lei J, Zhang SB, Zhang XL, Rong TY, Fan LQ, Duan ZL (2023) Analysis of the spatial and temporal variability and factors influencing the ecological resilience in the urban agglomeration on the Northern slope of Tianshan Mountain. Sustainability 15(6):4828
Vachon S, Klassen RD (2008) Environmental management and manufacturing performance: The role of collaboration in the supply chain. Int J Prod Econ 111(2):299–315
Vos T, Lim SS, Abbafati C, Abbas KM, Abbasi M, Abbasifard M, Abbasi-Kangevari M, Abbastabar H, Abd-Allah F, Abdelalim A (2020) Global burden of 369 diseases and injuries in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. The Lancet 396(10258):1204–1222
Wang K-L, Sun T-T, Xu R-Y, Miao Z, Cheng Y-H (2022) How does internet development promote urban green innovation efficiency? Evidence from China. Technol Forecast Soc Chang 184:122017
Wang J, Wang J, Zhang J (2023a) Spatial distribution characteristics of natural ecological resilience in China. J Environ Manage 342:118133
Wang K-L, Jiang W, Miao Z (2023b) Impact of high-speed railway on urban resilience in China: does urban innovation matter? Socio-Econ Plan Sci 87:101607
Wang Y, Cai Y, Xie Y, Chen L, Zhang P (2023c) An integrated approach for evaluating dynamics of urban eco-resilience in urban agglomerations of China. Ecol Ind 146:109859
Wu H, Hao Y, Ren S, Yang X, Xie G (2021a) Does internet development improve green total factor energy efficiency? Evidence from China Energy Policy 153:112247
Wu H, Xue Y, Hao Y, Ren S (2021b) How does internet development affect energy-saving and emission reduction? Evidence from China Energy Economics 103:105577
Wu L, Sun L, Qi P, Ren X, Sun X (2021c) Energy endowment, industrial structure upgrading, and CO2 emissions in China: Revisiting resource curse in the context of carbon emissions. Resour Policy 74:102329
Wu X, Huang Y, Gao J (2022) Impact of industrial agglomeration on new-type urbanization: Evidence from Pearl River Delta urban agglomeration of China. Int Rev Econ Financ 77:312–325
Xi B, Zhai PY (2023) Economic growth, industrial structure upgrading and environmental pollution: evidence from China. Kybernetes 52(2):518–553
Xiao W, Lv X, Zhao Y, Sun H, Li J (2020) Ecological resilience assessment of an arid coal mining area using index of entropy and linear weighted analysis:a case study of Shendong Coalfield. China Ecol Indicators 109:105843
Xiao W, Chen W, Deng X (2021) Coupling and coordination of coal mining intensity and social-ecological resilience in China. Ecol Ind 131:108167
Xu Q, Zhong M, Cao M (2022a) Does digital investment affect carbon efficiency? Spatial effect and mechanism discussion. Sci Total Environ 827:154321
Xu Y, Yu H, Zeng X, Zhang X (2022b) Impacts of environmental regulation on innovation in the context of the Internet. Environ Dev Sustain 25(11):13281–13303
Xu R, Yao D, Zhou M (2023) Does the development of digital inclusive finance improve the enthusiasm and quality of corporate green technology innovation? J Innov Knowl 8(3):100382
Yamaka W, Shi R, Maneejuk P, Chi CHY (2023) Spatial spillover effects of internet development on foreign trade in China. Sustainability 15(5):4213
Yang X, Wu H, Ren S, Ran Q, Zhang J (2021) Does the development of the internet contribute to air pollution control in China? Mechanism discussion and empirical test. Struct Chang Econ Dyn 56:207–224
Yu B (2022) The impact of the internet on industrial green productivity: Evidence from China. Technol Forecast Soc Chang 177:121527
Yuan Y, Bai Z, Zhang J, Xu C (2022) Increasing urban ecological resilience based on ecological security pattern: A case study in a resource-based city. Ecol Eng 175:106486
Zhou F, Wen H, Lee C (2022a) Broadband infrastructure and export growth. Telecommun Policy 46(5):102347
Zhou Q, Qiao Y, Zhang H, Zhou S (2022b) How does college scale affect urban resilience? Spatiotemporal evidence from China. Sustain Cities Soc 85:104084
Zhou Y, Chen Y, Li ZL, Jiang WL (2022c) Ecological resilience assessment of an emerging urban agglomeration: a case study of Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle. China Polish J Environ Stud 31(3):2381–2395
Zuo P, Jiang Q, Chen J (2020) Internet development, urbanization and the upgrading of China’s industrial structure. Quant Techn Econ 37(7):71–91 (In Chinese)
Acknowledgements
The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 72373138 and 71973131), Major Project of National Social Science Foundation of China (No. 17VHQ002).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Ethical approval and consent to participate
Not applicable.
Consent to publish
Not applicable.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Jiang, W., Wang, KL. & Miao, Z. How does internet development affect urban eco-resilience: evidence from China. Econ Change Restruct 57, 49 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10644-024-09632-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10644-024-09632-x