| Ever since the 1960 s, developed countries including the United States, Italy, Germany, and developing countries like China and Vietnam, have all encountered the cancer gathering phenomenon or the so-called "cancer villages". Particularly, the problem of "cancer villages" in China has drastically burst since the “Reform and Opening up”: with China’s rapid economic development, within which the process of industrialization, urbanization and globalization has been unceasingly accelerated, the ongoing resources consumptive and export-oriented developing mode have caused serious pollution and destruction to the environment, making the phenomenon of “cancer villages” more and more severe.This paper starts with the two perspectives of the geographical distribution as well as the formatting factors of “cancer villages”, and does concrete study on cancer villages. And we try to analyze the distribution characteristics and the reasons behind that distribution through the spatial autocorrelation, kernel density analysis, OLS regression analysis, classification analysis methods and so on. This also can provide reference to relevant environmental pollution treatment.The main conclusions include the following two aspects:The aspect of spatial distribution of cancer villages and agglomeration features:(1) With regard to the geographical distribution of cancer villages, they are distributed widely, with the number declining gradually from the east to the west.Cancer villages is widely but uniquely distributed, and form various concentrated areas, presenting a trend of the gravity center’s moving from the east to the mid-west. From the aspect of natural geography and cultural economic characteristics, a majority of the "cancer villages" are located in high population-density and mild-climate costal rural areas; most of those areas, plain or hill, have a preeminent geographical condition, fluent water resources and relatively well-developed industry but poor medical level.(2) Cancer village showed a trend of decrease in the time scale.2004 is the year when the number of “cancer villages" reached a peak, from then on its number gradually decreased. In 2007 there was another burst, and after that the number fluctuates, but generally reveals a trend of decrease.(3) Different types of cancer villages have different concentration characteristics.Different types of cancer villages have different distribution characteristics: for those cancer villages where the common cancer type is lung cancer, they are mainly located in plain or hill areas where there is abundant precipitation, facilitating transport, sufficient water and relatively well developed industries; particularly, the temperature、precipitation and topography have the significant influence among them; for those cancer villages where the common cancer type is the esophageal cancer, they are mainly located in plain areas where there is passing-by rivers, dense population, mild climate and low medical level; particularly, the river and industry have the significant influence among them; for those cancer villages where the common cancer type is the gastric cancer, they are mainly located in plain or hill areas where there is wet climate, clearly divided wet-dry seasons, dense population, facilitating transport, low medical level and relatively well developed industries; among them, the factors of topography and precipitation have the significant influence; for those cancer villages where the common cancer type is the blood cancer, they are mainly located in rural coastal plain areas where the civilization level is low and there is abundant water, facilitated transport and well-developed economy; for those cancer villages where the common cancer type is the liver cancer, they are mainly located in areas where there is mild climate, fluent waterfall, abundant water, well-developed economy and industry; among them, the factors of temperature have the significant influence; for those cancer villages where the common cancer type is the comprehensive cancer, they are mainly located in offshore areas where there is good geographical condition, proper hydrothermal conditions suitable for the rapid economic development and good policy.The affecting factors behind the formation of cancer villages:The number of "cancer villages" located in an area is positively correlated with the local cadmium emission levels and the local population density, and is negatively correlated with the scale of local industrial GDP and the level of urbanization. We also find that those areas with more cancer villages are mostly in hilly regions.Regarding this, this dissertation also puts forward some corresponding suggestions:First of all, the government, especially those in the mid-west areas, are supposed to pay attention to environmental problems, advocate green GDP, avoid the old strategy of “polluting while developing, treating while polluting”, and truly achieve the sustainable “green” development.Second, the government shall improve the legal system, apply strict juristic responsibility system of enterprises polluting the environment, and reinforce regional law enforcement and supervision, so that the enterprises can consciously regulate their own behaviors.Moreover, the government need to improve medical facilities and health service in poverty-stricken areas to ensure that the local patients in "cancer villages" can gain good medical treatment, and encourage the public institutions to protect the interests of vulnerable groups such as cancer patients, and to deal with the conflicts between "enterprises" and "peasants", so that the legitimate rights and interests of victims are guaranteed.Finally, the public supervision shall be strengthened; the efficiency of government actions need to be guaranteed; the transparency and credibility of the government shall be improved to ensure the effective execution of related departments. |
