Urban smog in the process of industrialization - Take Xi’an, China, for example

Abstract

This paper takes “industry development - urban smog” as the line to discuss the interaction between them, it tells us that the industry of Xi’an city has developed rapidly since the founding of the People’s Republic of China. However, the industrialization process in Xi’an is also accompanied by the appearance of smog. We found that the appearance of urban smog in Xi’an shows a certain regularity in the process of industrialization. Through analyzing the spatial distribution, historical characteristics and seasonal changes of urban smog, it reveals that the industrial production based on coal burning is an important inducement for smog in Xi’an. It calls for exploring an environmental protection road suitable for China. For example, energy structure transformation, laws improvement, promoting people’s awareness of environmental protection and industrial upgrading are all feasible ways to control urban smog. It is of practical significance to correctly handle the coordination between industrial economic development and environmental protection.