One Belt and One Road Impact on Environment, Economy & Health in Western China Through Industry Transfer

Abstract Based on fully absorbing and learning from the relevant research results at home and abroad, this paper focuses on four aspects: the transfer of polluting industries in the central and western regions and residents’ health problems. Firstly, the current pattern and development trend of regional pollution transfer in China; secondly, the economic effect of the transfer of polluting industries on the western undertaking areas; finally, from the micro and macro perspectives, the paper investigates the impact of the transfer of polluting industries on the individual health and health expenditure of residents in western China. The results show that the gap between industrial environmental and economic efficiency in the western region narrowed and gradually stabilised from 2008 to 2017. However, the gap between industrial environmental efficiency and economic efficiency in the western region widened from 2017 to 2020. The impact of environmental pollution on industrial environmental efficiency in the western provinces and regions has regional differences. Secondly, the present situation and trend of pollution control in western China are macroscopically investigated by comparing the output of general industrial solid waste and the investment in pollution control in different regions. Finally, this paper reveals the impact of the transfer of polluting industries on the health of residents in western China. Based on the characteristics of household category, age, and income of interviewees, the income growth effect of the transfer of polluting industries is less than the health loss caused by the transfer of pollution. It can be found that the transfer of polluting industries has a significant impact on the environment, economy, and the health of residents in western China.