Spatial Effect of Mineral Resources Exploitation on Urbanization: A Case Study of Tarim River Basin, Xinjiang, China

Key words: 
•  mineral resources development /
• urbanization /
• spatial effect /
• Tarim River Basin

Abstract: Mineral resources exploitation significantly affects the spatial structure and evolutive trend of urbanization in arid areas. In this
study, the spatial autocorrelation method and the spatial computation model were used to investigate the spatial impacts of mineral
resources excavation and processing on comprehensive level of urbanization in the Tarim River Basin, Xinjiang, China for the years of
2000, 2006 and 2008. The results are as follows: 1) There was a spatial correlation of the development of mineral resources industry and
the comprehensive level of urbanization in 2006 and 2008, with the spatial concentration trend rising significantly in 2006 and decreasing
in 2008. 2) The patterns of local spatial concentration of mineral resources industry and of the comprehensive level of urbanization were
relatively stable, and the two patterns showed signs of spatial correlationship. The higher was the degree of the concentration of mineral
resources industry, the stronger was its impact on the spatial clustering of urbanization. 3) In 2000, mineral resources excavation and
processing had a significant positive impact on the comprehensive level of urbanization in the region but not in its adjacent regions.
However, in 2008, mineral resources excavation and processing significantly raised the comprehensive level of urbanization not only in the
region but also in its neighboring regions. This research demonstrates that the development of mineral resources industry can strongly
affect the trends and spatial patterns of urbanization.