The Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Coal Resource and its Utilization in China — Based on Space Exploration Analysis Technique ESDA

Abstract

By using exploratory spatial data analysis technology, this paper studies the coal resource and its utilization in China's 31 provinces between 2001 and 2011. The research concluded that the distribution structure of China has a serious imbalance between coal production and coal consumption. The coal resource curse values for most provinces are decreasing apparently. It was also found out the coal-dominated economic development pattern of regions as “Sanxi” (Shanxi, Shaanxi and Mengxi) has become weakened. From the spatial autocorrelation test on coal resource curse, it is revealed that the observed spatial agglomeration of resource curse show significant positive global autocorrelation, i.e. the high curse value region tends to be cluster, with the low value region following the same trend. Moreover, the outcome of local spatial autocorrelation test indicates that several provinces have significant positive values, and the high-risk curse value district has shrunk to the coal endowment region.