Research On Resource Curse And Sustainable Development Of Resource-based Cities

Resource curse is the surprising feature of modern economic growth is that economies abundant in natural resources have tended to grow slower than economies without substantial natural resources. The hypothesis of resource curse was tested both across countries and across regions within a country in the past two decades. The scholars'empirical studies find that resource curse is true. Furthermore, they carry out comprehensive and systematic investigation into the real reasons of the paradox of abundant natural resource.Resource-based cities are important components of our city system. There are 118 resource-based cities in China, which accounting for about 18 percent. Resource-based cities face many difficulties in the process of development, such as the exhaustible natural resources, the single industrial structure, the sluggish economic growth, the increasing unemployment rate, and deteriorating ecological environment, and so on. All sides of the society pay great attention to the transformation and sustainable development of the resource-based cities.The thesis will test the hypothesis of resource curse in the level of resource-based cities. The author wants to probe into the sustainable development of resource-based cities in the view of transmission mechanism of resource curse. The main content of the thesis includes several aspects.Firstly, summarize and introduce the resource curse theory and the transformation and development of the resource-based cities, which is helpful for the further research on the sustainable development of resource-based cities from the viewpoint of resource curse.Secondly, choose the 34 classical resource-based cities in China as the study object, set up the econometric model, test the resource curse, and determine the list of cities that encounter the resource curse.Thirdly, use the panel data of the 34 resource-based cities from 1997 to 2008 and econometric model, carry out quantitative analysis of transmission mechanism of the resource curse.Fourthly, select the classical resource-based cities in Henan Province, Jiaozuo City, do case research, summarize the successful experience of the city.Finally, put forward the proposals that the sustainable development for the resource-based cities based on the above empirical analysis and case study. The main innovation and contribution of the thesis consist of several aspects. Firstly, test the hypothesis of resource curse in the level of resource-based cities and determine the list of cities that encounter the resource curse. Secondly, setup the conceptual model on transmission mechanism, which consists of direct effect, crowding-out effect and institutional effect. Thirdly, setup econometric model, use the panel data and cross-section data, and carry out quantitative analysis on the hypothesis of resource curse and its transmission mechanism.