Spatiotemporal Evolution and Driving Factors of Industrial Wastewater Discharge in China

China's rapid economic growth since 2000 has been closely linked to an increase in environmental pollution, and industrial wastewater discharge during the industrialization process has significantly impacted the country's ecological environment. While early industrialization was strongly associated with environmental degradation, the situation has improved over time, largely due to the implementation of environmental protection policies and technological innovations. However, the long-term effects of industrialization on the environment remain, with significant regional disparities. Through Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis (ESDA), this study examines the spatial and temporal trends of industrial pollution discharges in China from 2000 to 2021 and their drivers. The results show a sharp rise in discharges during the early stages of that period, peaking around 2011. Since then, the discharges have declined steadily following the adoption of environmental policies and technological advances, supporting the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis. Spatially, discharges from developed regions in the east and south were markedly higher than those from other areas, reflecting significant regional imbalances. Moran's I analysis further demonstrated a spatial clustering effect, with high discharges concentrated in a small number of provinces. Considering these findings, this study recommends further reductions in industrial pollutant discharges and fostering sustainable economic and environmental development through the enhancement of environmental technologies, the optimization of industrial structures, and the promotion of coordinated regional governance.