Land Use Transitions under Rapid Urbanization in Chengdu-Chongqing Region: A Perspective of Coupling Water and Land Resources

Abstract

Land resources and water resources are the important material basis of economic and social development, and their pattern determines the pattern of development. Based on the panel data of the Chengdu–Chongqing Economic Circle from 2011 to 2018, this paper evaluates the matching degree of water and land resources, and their respective matching degrees with the economic development in the Chengdu–Chongqing Economic Circle with the Gini coefficient method. Based on the two-way fixed effect model, an extended Cobb–Douglas production function model is established to analyze the sensitivity of economic growth to land and water factors. In addition, the restriction degree of water and land resources to the economic development of the Chengdu–Chongqing Economic Circle is measured quantitatively by using the growth damping coefficient. The results show that the water and land resources and economic development of the Chengdu–Chongqing Economic Circle have a high matching degree, but the inner cities have a great difference. The contribution of water resources to economic growth is greater than that of land resources. Both of them have a little growth drag, which shows that industrial development has disposed of the dependence of water and land resources. The development of the Chengdu–Chongqing Economic Circle needs to play the role of technological progress in promoting economic growth, and at the same time optimize the use of water and land resources to reduce its constraints on the economic growth. Finally, the policy suggestions of matching water and land resources and economic growth in different regions are put forward.