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Adopting conservation tillage technology can promote sustainable agriculture development. There have been many studies on all farmers' conservation tillage behaviors, but few studies are based on a farmer's multidimensional heterogeneity perspective. Given the background, we conduct an empirical evaluation using micro survey data from 819 households in the middle and upper reaches of the Yellow River Basin. This paper uses the entropy method to classify farm households into three types: economically dominant, resource dominant, and socially dominant. Furthermore, we use the Heckman sample selection model to discuss the factors that affect the adoption of conservation tillage technology by different types of farmers. The results show that land fragmentation degree can inhibit economically dominant farmers conservation tillage technology adoption behavior. Social relations can positively influence resource dominant farmers. The share of non-farm income will positively impact socially dominant farmers. This paper further proposes policy implications, based on the findings that different types of farmers have various factors influencing conservation tillage technology adoption behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change has become an unavoidable problem in achieving sustainable development. As one of the major industries worldwide, tourism can make a significant contribution to mitigating climate change. The main objective of the paper is to assess the development level of low-carbon tourism from multi-aspect, using the Yellow River Basin as an example. Firstly, this study quantified tourism carbon dioxide emissions and tourism economy, and analyzed their evolution characteristics. The interaction and coordination degree between tourism carbon dioxide emissions and tourism economy were then analyzed using the improved coupling coordination degree model. Finally, this study analyzed the change in total factor productivity of low-carbon tourism by calculating the Malmquist–Luenberger productivity index. The results showed that: (1) the tourism industry in the Yellow River Basin has the characteristics of the initial environmental Kuznets curve. (2) There was a strong interaction between tourism carbon dioxide emissions and tourism economy, which was manifested as mutual promotion. (3) The total factor productivity of low-carbon tourism was increasing. Based on the above results, it could be concluded that the development level of low-carbon tourism in the Yellow River Basin has been continuously improved from 2000 to 2019, but it is still in the early development stage with the continuous growth of carbon dioxide emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics, as well as the driving factors, of carbon emissions in the prefecture-level cities in the Yellow River Basin (YB). The paper's findings will aid in promoting ecological conservation and high-quality development in the region. The initiatives undertaken in the YB are a significant national strategy towards achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality. To fully investigate the spatiotemporal evolution process, as well as the typical characteristics of their carbon emissions, conventional, and spatial Markov transition probability matrices were developed utilizing YB's panel data for 55 prefecture-level cities from 2003 to 2019. The generalized Divisia index decomposition method (GDIM) cleverly uses this data to conduct a complete analysis of the dynamics and driving processes influencing the change in carbon emissions in these cities. However, the evolution of carbon emissions in prefecture-level cities has reached a point of stability that maintains the original state, making it challenging to make meaningful short-term progress. The data indicates that prefecture-level cities in the YB are emitting more carbon dioxide on average. Neighborhood types in these cities significantly influence the transformation of carbon emissions. Low-emission areas can encourage a reduction in carbon emissions, whereas high-emission areas can encourage an increase. The spatial organisation of carbon emissions exhibits a "high-high convergence, low-low convergence, high-pulling low, low-inhibiting high" club convergence phenomenon. Carbon emissions rise with per capita carbon emissions, energy consumed, technology, and output scale, whereas it falls with carbon technology intensity and output carbon intensity. Hence, instead of enhancing the role of increase-oriented variables, prefecture-level cities in the YB should actively engage these reduction-oriented forces. The YB's key pathways for lowering carbon emissions include boosting research and development, promoting and applying carbon emission reduction technologies, lowering output carbon intensity and energy intensity, and improving energy use effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promoting the green development of resource-based cities is an essential way to achieve sustainable regional economic development. Based on 2009–2019 panel data of the Yellow River Basin cities, this study adopts the super-directional distance function model to measure the green development efficiency of these selected cities. Furthermore, based on the Malmquist-Luenberger index, this paper focuses on the dynamic change trend of green development efficiency and internal driving factors. Furthermore, the Tobit model is used to specifically explore the influencing factors affecting the green development of cities. The findings suggested that the green development efficiency of selected cities falls in the middle to high range and that the efficiency varies among all cities in the Yellow River Basin. Likewise, technical efficiency improvements and technological progress drive development efficiency, and the former contributes more to green development. However, financial development, energy structure adjustments, and environmental regulation can strongly contribute to the green development of cities, and each influencing factor has obvious temporal and regional differences. This paper proposes appropriate policy suggestions to promote the coordinated development of the economic development and environmental protection of the Yellow River Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessing and monitoring the green total factor energy efficiency (GTFEE) of cities while considering technology heterogeneity is crucial for the development of energy-conservation and emission-reduction policies. Considering that the heterogeneity of production technologies encompasses several dimensions, this paper proposes a 3E3S (Economy-Environment-Energy-Society-Science-Space) heterogeneity framework and integrates it with the improved meta-frontier global SBM-undesirable to analyze GTFEE and its decomposition. Empirical analysis of cities in the Yellow River Basin of China (YRBC) highlights the following: (1) The 3E3S heterogeneity framework facilitates the classification of all cities into three distinct groups, a finding that contrasts significantly with previous outcomes documented in the literature that relied solely on criteria such as geographic location. (2) The three groups identified under the meta-frontier exhibit substantial energy-saving potentials of 24.49%, 35.17%, and 52.46%, respectively. Additionally, there are spatiotemporal variations in GTFEE, with cities located in the central part of YRBC, particularly those in Shanxi province, demonstrating poor GTFEE performance. (3) The decomposition analysis of GTFEE indicates that technological progress plays a pivotal role in enhancing GTFEE on the whole, albeit with varying approaches for improving GTFEE depending on individual cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How to raise the ecological compensation fund for the Yellow River Basin is one of the key difficulties for executing the ecological compensation mechanism and ensuring the high-quality development of the entire basin. This paper, which is based on systems theory, analyzes the social-economic-ecological compound system of the Yellow River Basin. It makes the point that the goals of human-water harmony, ecological compensation efficiency improvement, and coordinated regional development should be achieved in raising ecological compensation funds. Guided by the raising targets, a two-layer fundraising model based on efficiency and fairness is constructed for ecological compensation. The upper-level model is built to calculate the ecological compensation efficiency of each compensation subject from an input–output perspective. The initial fundraising scheme was further determined to implement the efficiency principle. Within the framework of sustainable development theory, the lower-level model adheres to the fairness principle based on efficiency. The social-economic development level of the compensation subject is considered to discriminate and optimize the initial scheme. Additionally, the two-layer model was utilized to conduct an empirical analysis with the data of the Yellow River Basin from 2013 to 2020. The results show that the optimized fundraising scheme is in line with the actual development level of the Yellow River Basin. This study can provide a reference for the fundraising of horizontal ecological compensation and promote the sustainable development of the whole basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For mankind's survival and development, water, energy, and food (WEF) are essential material guarantees. In China, however, the spatial distribution of WEF is seriously unbalanced and mismatched. Here, a collaborative governance mechanism that aims at nexus security needs to be urgently established. In this paper, the Yellow River Basin in China with a representative WEF system, was selected as a case. Firstly, a comprehensive framework for WEF coupling coordination was constructed, and the relationship and mechanism between them were analyzed theoretically. Then, we investigated the spatiotemporal characteristics and driving mechanisms of the coupling coordination degree (CCD) with a composite evaluation method, coupling coordination degree model, spatial statistical analysis, and multiscale geographic weighted regression. Finally, policy implications were discussed to promote the coordinated development of the WEF system. The results showed that: 1) WEF subsystems showed a significant imbalance of spatial pattern and diversity in temporal changes; 2) the CCD for the WEF system varied little and remained at moderate coordination. Areas with moderate coordination have increased, while areas with superior coordination and mild disorder have decreased. In addition, the spatial clustering phenomenon of the CCD was significant and showed obvious characteristics of polarization; and 3) the action of each factor is self-differentiated and regionally variable. For different factors, GDP per capita was of particular importance, which contributed most to the regional development's coupling coordination. For different regions, GDP per capita, average yearly precipitation, population density, and urbanization rate exhibited differences in geographical gradients in an east-west direction. The conclusion can provide references for regional resource allocation and sustainable development by enhancing WEF system utilization efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased CO2 emissions from urban energy consumption pose a significant challenge to regional carbon mitigation policies. In this paper, we integrated two nighttime light (NTL) data: the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Operational Linescan System (OLS) and the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP) composite data to estimate the energy carbon emissions from 2000 to 2019. Then the spatiotemporal dynamics of carbon footprint and deficit in the Yellow River Basin were analyzed at the provincial, municipal, and county scales combined with NPP data. The study shows that (1) the total amount of energy consumption CO2 emissions in the Yellow River Basin had increased from 1332 Mt in 2000 to 6469 Mt in 2019, but the average annual growth rate slowed down after 2010 from 11.5 to 5.61%. (2) From 2000 to 2018, the provinces with the highest carbon footprint and carbon deficit were concentrated in Inner Mongolia and Shanxi. In 2018, Inner Mongolia's carbon footprint was 1366.91 × 104 km2, accounting for 22.8% of the total. Cities with high carbon footprint were mainly economic centers and energy-intensive areas of various provinces. High-carbon deficit counties were mainly distributed in the western region. In 2018, 954 counties exhibited carbon deficits. (3) The carbon footprint in the Yellow River Basin at the municipal and county scales have a significant spatial correlation. The H–H clusters of the carbon footprint on the municipal scale were distributed in the middle reaches of the Yellow River Basin. At the county scale, the L-L clusters were mainly in Sichuan and eastern Henan regions. Through the analysis of the spatial and temporal evolution of carbon footprint and carbon deficit in the Yellow River Basin, it is significant to measure the degree of comprehensive coordination of carbon sources and sinks in the basin, to grasp the differences in the level of regional carbon emissions, and to promote synergistic regional governance, assist in the formulation of more precise carbon emission reduction policies, and to promote green and high-quality development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yellow River Basin (YRB) is a typical ecologically fragile area in both the Chinese and global contexts. This paper built a sensitivity-resilience-pressure model to evaluate the ecological vulnerability (EV) of the YRB at the grid and prefecture-level regional scales; explored the spatiotemporal characteristics of EV; and scrutinized the impacts of socioeconomic driving factors on EV. The results showed that (1) at the grid and prefecture-level regional scales, EV decreased from the upper to lower reaches, and high vulnerability was observed in the provincial capital city. Mild and severe vulnerability constituted the main EV types in the YRB. (2) The EV index of the YRB decreased from 2.71 to 2.56 in the study period, indicating that the ecological environment improved in the YRB. The slightly and lightly vulnerable areas experienced shrinking-expansion changes, and the overall areas of these two EV types showed expanding trends, while the areal changes and overall trends of the moderately, severely, and extremely vulnerable areas were contrary to those of the slightly and lightly vulnerable areas. (3) The impacts of socioeconomic driving factors on EV dynamically strengthened with the improvement of the socioeconomic level. After considering the interactions of all socioeconomic factors, the explanatory power of the spatial differentiation of EV was enhanced, and the influence of these factors became more prominent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yellow River Basin (YRB) is characterized by active geological and tectonic processes, rapid geomorphological evolution, and distinct climatic diversity. Correspondingly, major disasters in the YRB are characterized by varied types, extensive distributions, and sudden occurrences. In addition, major disasters in the YRB usually evolve into disaster chains that cause severe consequences. Therefore, major disasters in the YRB destroy ecologies and environments and influence geological and ecological safety in the basin. This paper systematically reviews research on geological and surface processes, major disaster effects, and risk mitigation in the YRB, discusses the trends and challenges of relevant research, analyzes the key scientific problems that need to be solved, and suggests prospects for future research based on the earth system science concept. Themes of research that should be focused on include geological, surface and climatic processes in the YRB and their interlinking disaster gestation mechanisms; formation mechanisms and disaster chain evolutions of giant landslides in the upper reach of the YRB; mechanisms and disaster chain effects of loess water-soil disasters in the middle reach of the YRB; occurrence patterns and amplifying effects of giant flood chains in the lower reach of the YRB; and risk mitigations of major disasters in the YRB. Key scientific problems that need to be solved are as follows: how to reveal the geological, surface and climatic processes that are coupled and interlinked with gestation mechanisms of major disasters; how to clarify the mutual feedback effects between major disasters and ecology; and how to develop a human-environmental harmony-based integrated risk mitigation system for major disasters. Prospects for future studies that follow the earth system science concept include the following: highlighting interdisciplinary research to reveal the interlinked disaster gestation mechanisms of the geology, surface and climate in the YRB in the past, present, and future; forming theories to clarify the regional patterns, dynamic mechanisms, and mutual-feedback effects between disaster chains and ecology in the YRB on land and in rivers in the region; solving technological bottlenecks to develop assessment models and mitigation theories for integrated risks in the YRB by following the human-environment harmony concept; and finally, establishing a demonstratable application pattern characterized by "whole-basin coverage" and "zonal controls", thereby guaranteeing ecological and geological safety in the basin and providing scientific support for ecological conservation and high-quality development of the YRB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Horizontal ecological compensation mechanism provides solutions for cross-domain protection of ecological environment, and the key to its implementation depends on the establishment of a suitable incentive mechanism of economic benefits to influence the conservation behavior of each interest body. This article constructs a horizontal ecological compensation mechanism for the Yellow River Basin through indicator variables to analyze the profitability of the participating subjects. Based on data from 83 cities in the Yellow River Basin in 2019, an empirical study was conducted using a binary unordered logit regression model to examine the regional benefits generated by the horizontal ecological compensation mechanism in the Yellow River Basin. The level of urban economic development and ecological environment management significantly affects the profitability of horizontal ecological compensation mechanisms in the Yellow River basin. The heterogeneity analysis finds that the profitability of the horizontal ecological compensation mechanism in the Yellow River basin is stronger in the upstream central and western regions, which are more likely to produce better ecological compensation benefits as recipients of compensation funds. Governments in the Yellow River Basin should strengthen cross-regional cooperation, continuously improve the capacity building and modernization of ecological and environmental governance in the basin, and provide solid institutional guarantees for environmental pollution management in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is of great significance to study the trends and internal differences of eco-efficiency in the Yellow River Basin for ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin. According to the characteristics of the Yellow River Basin in China, the eco-efficiency evaluation system was constructed, and the super-efficiency slack-based measure (SBM) model and the super-efficiency SBM model of undesired output were used to calculate the eco-efficiency levels of provinces in the Yellow River Basin from 2005 to 2020, and the variation trend and internal differences were analyzed. The results show that when only the expected output was considered, the eco-efficiency of the Yellow River Basin as a whole and each province showed a fluctuating upward trend, but there were obvious differences. Qinghai Province, Sichuan Province, and Ningxia Autonomous Region had high eco-efficiency, while Shaanxi Province, Shanxi Province, and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region had low eco-efficiency. Compared with only considering the expected outputs, eco-efficiency of Qinghai Province had improved significantly when considering non-expected outputs. The eco-efficiency of Shandong Province and Henan Province had improved significantly after 2016, while the eco-efficiency of the two provinces had decreased significantly before 2016. The eco-efficiency of Shaanxi, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, and Gansu had declined to varying degrees. Finally, the reasons for the differences in eco-efficiency in various provinces in the Yellow River Basin were analyzed, and suggestions for improving the eco-efficiency of the Yellow River Basin were put forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yellow River Basin is an energy-rich area. The low-carbon development of the Yellow River Basin is one of the ways to achieve ecological protection and high-quality development. Based on panel data from 2007 to 2019, the dynamic and static carbon emission efficiencies of 98 cities in the Yellow River Basin were calculated using the Undesirable Super Slacks-based model and the Global Malmquist-Luengerber index method, respectively, and the spatial effects of influencing factors were analyzed using the spatial Dubin model. Main conclusions are as follows: (1) The carbon emission efficiency of cities in the Yellow River Basin is different, and only a small numbers of cities have reached the effective state. (2) The main factor for the increase in the overall carbon emission efficiency of the whole Basin is technological progress, and the main factors for the improvement of carbon emission efficiency of different cities are various. (3) The direct effects of economic development level and industrial structure upgrading are significantly positive, the direct effects of technological development level, energy intensity, and opening up are significantly negative, and the indirect effects of population density are positive. The conclusions are of great significance for promoting low-carbon development, ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The upper Yellow River basin is located in the new Silk Road economic belt. Fundamental to the healthy development of the Yellow River ecosystem and the security of water resources in the economic belt are the hydrological regime change that drives river ecosystem processes, or called ecological flow regimes (EFR). When developing a sustainable and ecofriendly Silk Road economic belt, the evaluation of the alteration of the EFR and an attribute analysis should receive great attention because they can provide decision makers with more information on ecological implications for balancing environmental and human water needs. The objective of this paper is to investigate the EFR variation at the Lanzhou gauge as the control section of the upper Yellow River basin. First, the paper addresses the macroscale EFR using ecoflow metrics (ecodeficit and ecosurplus), i.e., the multi-year trend of the annual and seasonal changes in ecological flow. Second, it evaluates microscale variations in EFR via the Yellow River ecohydrological index system and compares them with macroscale changes in EFR to verify their consistency. Third, it analyzes the attributes of EFR variation and determines the impact of the construction and operation of reservoirs on the variation. Results show that macro- and microscale EFR at the Lanzhou gauge have significant changes before and after the construction of reservoirs in the upper Yellow River basin, reaching a high degree of alteration. Reservoir construction and operation have been the major reason for the alteration of EFR in the past few decades, and the cascade reservoir regulation has more significantly affected the changes in EFR than has a single reservoir, placing the downstream fluvial ecological system under serious risk. This change should arouse considerable concern, particularly in the development of the new Silk Road economic belt. In addition, ecoflow metrics used for reflecting the macroscale change in this study are highly correlated with microscale indicators of EFR that are accepted in the upper Yellow River basin. This result implies that ecoflow metrics can mirror most ecological information from these microscale indicators and are suitable for the evaluation of alterations in hydrological processes at annual and seasonal timescales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectively and accurately identifying the spatial structure and protection scope of intangible cultural heritage and constructing intangible cultural heritage corridors are crucial for the comprehensive systematic protection of intangible cultural heritage and the synergistic development of the region. However, the current research on intangible cultural heritage is limited to the protection and development of intangible cultural heritage in specific locations or specific areas. Thus, systematic and holistic research perspectives are relatively limited. Therefore, this study employs geographic information system spatial analysis and the minimum cumulative resistance model to construct an intangible cultural heritage corridor in the Yellow River Basin. This study aims to establish a systematic protection method and framework for intangible cultural heritage. The results show the following: (1) The intangible cultural heritage in the Yellow River Basin has a large-scale centralized distribution and small-scale scattered distribution, which provides an important spatial basis for the construction of intangible cultural heritage corridors. (2) Overall, intangible cultural heritage corridors can be more effectively constructed in the eastern region of the Yellow River Basin than in the western region, with 84.6% of the area being suitable and 15.4% being unsuitable. (3) Based on the suitability analysis, the "18 + N" corridor system of intangible cultural heritage in the Yellow River Basin, distributed across the eastern, central and southern regions, is constructed. The major corridor has a suitable width of 60–100 km, a total length of 11,935 km, and an area of 625,976 km2–919,942 km2, and can connect 634–711 intangible cultural heritage sites in series. On this basis, this study proposes a multilevel construction system for intangible cultural heritage corridors in the Yellow River Basin that integrates the "network structure–spatial scope" and "element–axis–region" levels. This approach culminates in a pattern of intangible cultural heritage protection and development in the Yellow River Basin characterized by "connecting points into lines, distributing in groups, and linking regions." This study reveals that combining geographic information system spatial analysis tools with a minimum cumulative resistance model effectively identifies potential heritage corridor networks and clarifies the hierarchical relationships of heritage element protection in the study area. This approach provides a reference model for the comprehensive protection and systematic development of intangible cultural heritage in the Yellow River Basin. Furthermore, the effectiveness and universality of this framework make it applicable to the protection and development of other similar international heritage areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the Dynamic Coupling between Land Use Economic Efficiency (LUEE) and Urban Ecological Resilience (UER) in the Yellow River Basin (YRB). This exploration is pivotal for elucidating the interaction mechanisms between economic growth and ecological governance. Furthermore, understanding this relationship is essential for fostering high-quality, sustainable urban development in the YRB. Utilizing panel data from 56 cities spanning 2003 to 2020, this study employed the coupling coordination degree (CCD) model, spatial correlation analysis, Kernel density estimation, convergence model, and Geodetector to systematically analyze the spatio-temporal distribution, dynamic trend, and determinants of the CCD between LUEE and UER in the YRB. The findings indicate that: (1) A general upward trend in both LUEE and UER, accompanied by a steady improvement in their CCD. (2) Significant spatial disparities in their CCD, with higher levels in the lower reaches. (3) Marked positive spatial autocorrelation, predominantly characterized by clusters where high (low) values are surrounded by high (low) values. (4) Regarding the impact of individual factors, government fiscal budget expenditure demonstrates the most robust explanatory power for the CCD within the YRB. Concerning the effects of two-factor interactions, the interplay between industrial structure upgrading and government fiscal budget expenditure emerges as the most significant determinant in influencing the CCD between LUEE and UER. This study enhances our comprehensive understanding of the interplay between economic and ecological systems. It offers scientific insights and strategic direction for harmonizing ecological governance with urban economic growth at both the regional and global scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studying the carbon effect of land use in watersheds is important for mitigating global warming, promoting coordinated emission reduction in different regions within the watersheds, and realizing high-quality development of the watersheds. Although a number of scholars have carried out relevant studies in the past, they mainly focused on carbon emissions, rarely involved the carbon balance formed by carbon sources and sinks, and lacked relevant studies on the development of low-carbon economy sub-region. Based on this, this study takes the Yellow River Basin as an example, explores the spatial and temporal evolution of carbon emissions from land use in counties in the Yellow River Basin from 1980 to 2020, and predicts the spatial pattern of carbon income and expenditure from land use under natural conditions in 2030 and 2060 using the PLUS model; and then superimposes on the main functional area planning, divides 735 counties in the Yellow River Basin into six low-carbon economic development subregions, and analyzes their economic development The model of their economic development is analyzed. The results show that: (1) the spatial and temporal differentiation of land use carbon balance in the Yellow River Basin has changed greatly over the past 40 years, (2) the spatial distribution pattern of land use carbon balance in the natural context in 2030 and 2060 is more similar to that in 1990, (3) the carbon emission reduction potentials and pattern optimization of the different low-carbon economic development subregions differ greatly, and they have different low-carbon economic development patterns. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for scientifically and rationally formulating economic policies for low-carbon development in the counties of the Yellow River Basin, and also provide an important reference for related studies in other similar basins or regions in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yellow River basin (YRB) is China's most critical energy consumption and coal production area. The improvement of carbon emission reduction efficiency in this area is the key for the Chinese government to achieve the 2030 carbon peak and 2060 carbon neutral ("30.60"). Given this, this study first calculates the carbon emission efficiency of YRB from 2005 to 2019 based on the slack-based measured directional distance function (SBM-DDF) model and combined with Malmquist–Luenberger (ML) index and decomposes the carbon emission efficiency of each province. Then, a panel Tobit model with random effect is constructed to measure the influencing factors and their influence degree of carbon emission efficiency of YRB. Finally, the main influencing factors are selected, and policy suggestions on how to improve the carbon emission efficiency of each province are put forward with the help of the coupling coordination degree (CCD) model. The results show that first, the carbon emission efficiency of each province is significantly different, but it shows a fluctuating upward trend on the whole. Second, the reasons for the rise or decline of the ML index in different provinces are different. Therefore, the development strategies of different provinces should be formulated from the perspective of accelerating technological progress and improving technical efficiency. Finally, the calculation results of influencing factors and coupling coordination degrees show that provinces with high coupling coordination degrees should focus on developing per capita power consumption and controlling per capita power consumption to consolidate the actual urbanization process and industrial structure adjustment. Provinces with low coupling coordination degrees should focus on maintaining the urbanization process and increasing the development of the tertiary industry. Therefore, to fundamentally reduce carbon emissions in YRB areas, we need to consider implementing differentiated emission reduction schemes based on national strategic objectives and in combination with the development characteristics of various provinces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The watershed system has a complex game relationship between the benign operation and coordinated development of various elements of flood-sediment transportation, eco-environment, and socio-economy (FES). With the increasing breadth, depth, and intensity of human activities in watersheds, it is urgent to coordinate the FES. The relationship of water–sediment in the Yellow River Basin (YRB) is complex, with a prominent contradiction in water supply and a fragile ecosystem. This research tries to build a comprehensive evaluation model for FES and explore the complex interaction between FES in the YRB from 2000 to 2020. The results demonstrated that (1) the comprehensive flood-sediment transportation index (CFTI) and comprehensive eco-environment index (CEI) presented fluctuating growth. In contrast, the comprehensive socio-economy index (CSI) revealed a linear growth trend. The CFTI of Sanmenxia, CEI of Toudaokuan, and CSI of Ningxia had the highest growth rates, with 36.03%, 6.48%, and 107.5%, respectively. (2) FES's positive and negative effects were alternating, with heterogeneity in both time and space. (3) The coupling coordination degree (CCD) in the YRB indicated an increasing trend, ranging from 0.53 to 0.87, from reluctantly coordinated development to good coordinated development. The lagging subsystem was CFTI (2000–2001 and 2008–2020) and CSI (2002–2007), and the CEI was not lagging. (4) Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis (ESDA) demonstrated significant differences in the CCD of the YRB, and areas with similar CCD within the basin tend to be centrally distributed in space. At the same time, there was negative spatial autocorrelation in coordination. The results provide a scientific theoretical and methodological framework for strategic research on the YRB system's governance, protection, and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the multiplicity of factors including weather, the underlying surface and human activities, the complexity of parameter optimization for a distributed hydrological model of a watershed land surface goes far beyond the capability of traditional optimization methods. The genetic algorithm is a new attempt to find a solution to this problem. A genetic algorithm design on the Distributed-Hydrology-Soil-Vegetation model (DHSVM) parameter optimization is illustrated in this paper by defining the encoding method, designing the fitness value function, devising the genetic operators, selecting the arithmetic parameters and identifying the arithmetic termination conditions. Finally, a case study of the optimization method is implemented on the Lushi Watershed of the Yellow River Basin and achieves satisfactory results of parameter estimation. The result shows that the genetic algorithm is feasible in optimizing parameters of the DHSVM model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the regional water resources character, the concept of soil water resources is first redefined, and then associated with their transfer relationship in the hydrological cycle, Evapotranspiration ( ET)-based consumption structure and consumption efficiency of soil water resources are analyzed. According to ET’s function in productivity, the consumption efficiency of soil water resources is divided into three classes: high efficient consumption from vegetation transpiration, low efficient consumption from soil evaporation among plants with high vegetation coverage and inefficient consumption from soil evaporation among plants with low vegetation coverage and bare soil evaporation. The high efficient and low efficient consumption were further classified as productive consumption. The inefficient consumption is considered non-productive consumption because it is significant in the whole hydrological cycle process. Finally, according to these categories, and employing a WEP-L distributed hydrological model, this paper analyzes the consumption efficiency of soil water resources in the Yellow River Basin. The results show that there are 2078.89×108 m3 soil water resources in the whole basin. From the viewpoint of consumption structure, the soil water resources are comprised of 381.89×108 m3 transpiration consumption from vegetation and 1697.09×108 m3 evaporation consumption from soil among plants and bare soil. From the viewpoint of consumption efficiency, soil water resources are composed of 920.11×108 m3 efficient consumption and 1158.86×108 m3 of inefficient consumption. High efficient consumption accounts for 41.5 percent of the total efficient consumption of the whole basin, low efficient for 58.5 percent. Furthermore, consumption efficiency varies by region. Compared with ET from different land use conditions, the whole basin appears to follow the trend of having the greatest proportion of consumption as inefficient consumption, followed by low efficient consumption, and then the least proportion as high efficient consumption. The amount of inefficient consumption in some regions with vegetation is less than in other regions without vegetation. The amount of inefficient consumption in grasslands is much greater than in forestlands. However, the proportion of low efficient consumption is the greatest in crop fields. The amount of high efficient consumption in grasslands and forelands is similar to the corresponding low efficient consumption. However, the low efficient consumption in grasslands is larger than in the forelands. Therefore, when adjusting the utilization efficiency of soil water resources, vegetation coverage and plant structure should be modulated in terms of the principle of decreasing inefficient consumption, improving low efficiency ET and increasing high efficiency ET according to area character. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evapotranspiration (ET) plays a key role in water cycle and energy balance, and the construction of large areas of vegetation in the Yellow River Basin (YRB) will cause an increase in regional ET and changes in water use in the basin. Based on GLEAM evapotranspiration products, meteorological stations and land use data, this study used slope trend analysis, Mann-Kendall (M-K) test and partial correlation analysis to analyse changes in evapotranspiration and water use in the YRB before and after reforestation from 1980 to 2019. The results showed that the annual average ET of the YRB from 1980 to 2019 ranged from 363 to 447 mm with an average change rate of 10.2 mm/10a. The actual evapotranspiration/potential evapotranspiration (ET/PET) growth rate of the YRB decreased after the Grain for Green Project (GGP), and the actual evapotranspiration/precipitation (ET/P) decreased extremely significantly. Water use efficiency in the YRB was significantly reduced, and grassland was subjected to greater water stress. This study provides scientific support for future water balance, landscape restoration, ecological protection and quality development of the YRB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientific estimation and dynamic monitoring of CO2 emission trends are an important basis for formulating regional differentiated carbon reduction strategies. Using the integrated nighttime light data, this study estimated CO2 emissions in the Yellow River Basin (YRB) and Yangtze River Basin (YZRB) and discussed the similarities and differences of the spatial distribution of CO2 emissions for the two river basins. The results showed that: (1) The CO2 emissions in the two basins continued to rise, but the growth rate decreased from 2000 to 2018, showing an overall convergence trend, but have not yet reached carbon peak. (2) The high emission and high agglomeration areas were located in Shandong Province in the downstream of the YRB, Shanxi, Shaanxi and Inner Mongolia in the midstream and upstream, and the Yangtze River Delta (YRD). (3) Compared with the YRB, the growth rate of CO2 emissions in the YZRB is slower, and the growth rate declines greatly. In the YRB, it had higher CO2 emissions amount, wider area of high carbon emissions and more obvious spatial agglomeration than that in the YZRB. (4) According to CO2 emissions and economic development level, 220 cities of the two river basins were classified three types: low CO2–low development, high CO2–low development and high CO2–high development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional and persistent PM2.5 pollution seriously undermines the development of urban ecological civilizations and the advancement of high-quality economies. The producer service sector, an example of a typical knowledge-intensive service industry, plays an important role in advancing the manufacturing industry and fostering economic growth while concurrently improving urban environmental conditions. Based on panel data of prefecture-level cities in the Yellow River Basin from 2006 to 2019, this study constructed a Spatial Durbin Model and a mediation effect model to comprehensively explore the impact of producer services agglomeration on PM2.5 pollution. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) From 2006 to 2019, PM2.5 pollution in the study area exhibited an initial rise followed by a subsequent decline, with notable spatial heterogeneity. PM2.5 pollution in the lower reaches of the Yellow River was significantly higher than in the middle and upper reaches. In addition, the spatial pattern of producer services agglomeration showed distinct "core-edge" characteristics. (2) The agglomeration of producer services had a significant negative impact on local and adjacent PM2.5 pollution, and there was a more pronounced haze reduction effect in the case of specialized agglomerations of producer services and low-end producer services. (3) The agglomeration of producer services indirectly improved PM2.5 pollution by promoting technological innovation and optimizing industrial structure, with the latter playing a greater mediating effect. This study not only helps expand the theoretical and empirical research on producer services agglomeration but also offers valuable insights for pursuing a green transformation of the Yellow River Basin by optimizing industrial patterns through the producer services sector. This approach represents a reference for curbing PM2.5 pollution and guiding the region toward a greener future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A thorough understanding of groundwater recharge source, particularly its rate, is usually a prerequisite for effective water resources management. In this paper, we report the impact of Yellow River water seepage from the North Henan Plain, using both hydrogeochemical and stable isotopic analysis data. Seven Yellow River water samples, 10 groundwater samples from a river-parallel transect, and 36 groundwater samples from four different perpendicular transects to the Yellow River in the western, middle, and eastern plain were collected and analyzed. It inferred that cation exchange of Ca and/or Mg for Na occurred in groundwaters because of the dissolution of carbonate rocks. The hydrogeochemical results indicate that western piedmont lateral groundwater and the Yellow River are both important sources of groundwater recharge for the western transect of the North Henan Plain, while the former is a greater recharge source for the middle transect, and the latter is a greater recharge source for the eastern transect. Stable isotope data support Yellow River water incursion into the groundwater. The approximate distance (based on chloride concentration) from the Yellow River to border of the impact zone is17.43-23.40 km in the western plain, 52.46 km in the middle plain, and 49.82 km in the eastern plain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For decades, the Chinese government has been searching for solutions to cope with the increasing imbalance between the supply and demand of water in the Yellow River Basin. This paper aims at a better understanding of the development of the water allocation regime in the Yellow River Basin between 1950 and 2009, introducing a fresh perspective based on the notion of 'regime transition'. Accordingly, we investigated 1) whether so-called 'Windows of Opportunity for Transition (WOPTs)' emerged, triggering a transition, and whether WOPT(s) resulted in a stable transition towards the new regime; 2) how informal learning processes and epistemic communities have contributed to the regime change. We adapted Kingdon's 'multiple stream model' and identified four WOPTs from the 1950s, analyzing the reconfiguration process of the regime after the onset of the transition. Our examples of two types of informal learning processes demonstrate their contribution to the creation of WOPTs and the reconfiguration of the regime. Furthermore, this study indicates, in a qualitative manner, how epistemic communities contribute to the knowledge base of the regime, and thus to its development. Finally, we have provided a general insight into the further development of the water allocation regime and highlighted potential avenues for further studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The necessity and feasibility of an ET-based modern water resources management was analyzed to improve assessment of critical water resources scarcity in the region/basin. This analysis was based on the whole water cycle process and its analysis object is evapotranspiration (ET), a main consumption component in the water resources dynamic transformation process. A case study was undertaken by selecting soil water resources in the Yellow River Basin and employing the WEP-L distributed hydrological model with physics mechanisms. This paper discusses the amount and consumption efficiency of soil-water resources according to completely simulated results of water cycle elements throughout the basin. Results indicate that it is important for the ET-based modern water resources management strategy to alleviate water resources scarcity because it may not only avoid unused water wasting but also improve water use efficiency. Therefore, an ET-based modern water resources management scheme is a good complement to the traditional water resources demand management system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to estimate water resources renewability scientifically, an Ideal Interval Method of Multiple Objective Decision-Making (IIMMODM) is presented. This method is developed through improving an ideal point method of multiple objective decision-making. The ideal interval is obtained with assessment standard instead of ideal points. The weights are decided by using the basic point and gray code accelerating genetic algorithm. This method has synthesized the expert’s suggestion and avoided giving a mark for the objective again. It could solve the complicated problem of compatible or incompatible multi-objective assessment. The principle of IIMMODM is presented in this paper. It is used to assess the water resources renewability for nine administrative divisions in the Yellow River basin. The result shows that the water resources renewability in the Yellow River basin is very low. Compared with the gray associate analysis method, fuzzy synthesis method and genetic projection pursuit method, the IIMMODM is easier to use. Compared with the ideal point method of multiple objective decision-making, the IIMMODM has good robustness, which is applicable to the comprehensive assessments of water resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of imbalanced urban–rural development in China is becoming increasingly serious. Urban–rural integration (URI) is an inevitable way to narrow the urban–rural gap and promote rural development. The Yellow River Basin (YRB) is an important barrier to China's ecological security and plays a crucial role in promoting ecological protection and in high-quality development strategies. Therefore, this article constructs an evaluation index system for URI from five dimensions: economic integration, social integration, ecological integration, element integration, and spatial integration. The simulated annealing-projection pursuit model and time degree are used to analyze the dynamic urban–rural integration level (URIL) of 373 counties from 2000 to 2019. Building upon this foundation, this study classifies four types of URI zones and proposes development strategies tailored to each zone. The results indicate (1) that the URIL in the YRB continues to increase, and that there has been a significant increase in high-level integration areas since 2010. (2) The URIL exhibits a distinct spatial clustering pattern, characterized by lower levels in the upper reaches, and higher levels in the middle and lower reaches. (3) There exists a spatial disparity between economic development and the ecological environment, and it is particularly noticeable in the lower reaches regions. These results contribute to a better understanding of URI in the YRB and provide a reference for the sustainable development of URI in various regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change and human activities have profoundly altered ecosystem services in the Yellow River Basin (YRB) since the Grain for Green project was implemented, but have not been accurately revealed on a year-by-year scale. This study combined the InVEST model to reveal the year-by-year changes in the water-related ecosystem services (WRESs) in YRB during 1990–2020, including water yield, soil conservation and water purification services. The trade-off/synergy of WRESs and impacts of land management measures on WRESs were assessed fully. The results showed that from 1990 to 2020, cropland and barren land were considerably converted to forest and grassland in YRB. WRESs were continuously improved as a result of increase of water yield and reductions of soil export and nitrogen export, at rates of +1.11 mm·yr−1, −0.23 t·km−2·yr−1 and −1.01 kgkm−2·yr−1, respectively. We found that in YRB water purification service showed trade-off relationships with soil conservation and water yield services in recent decades, and water yield and soil conservation maintained a synergitic effect. Additionally, the revegetation measures showed a potential of enhancing soil conservation and water purification, but reducing water yield. This study provided a thorough understanding of WRESs dynamics and a valuable reference for the ecological restoration practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological security is the state achieved once an ecosystem maintains its stability under external stress. The Yellow River Basin (YRB) is the largest river basin in northwest and north China and an important area for grain and energy production. The assessment and attribution of ecological security in the YRB are important for protecting the natural environment and ensuring sustainable development. Here, the ecological security of the YRB was assessed by the ecological security index (ESI), a comprehensive index based on the oxygen cycle, and its drivers were attributed to climate change, human activities, vegetation, and soil factors. The spatial pattern of ecological security in the YRB showed high heterogeneity. Ecological insecurity occurred mainly in the middle reaches and regions where the major stream of the Yellow River passes through. The ESI decreased at a rate of − 0.82/year since 2000, which indicated the natural environment continued to be improved in the YRB. Climate change dominated the evolution of ecological security in the upper reaches. The level of ecological security has been improved in the middle reaches after a series of ecological restoration projects conducted. With higher intensity of industrial activity, human activities played a more critical role in ecological security in the lower reaches. Our results suggested that government and local people need to adopt different strategies and actions based on the dominant drivers in the upper, middle, and lower reaches to ensure protection of the natural environment and achieve sustainable development targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a critical way to realize the optimal allocation of water environment capacity resources in the basin, emission rights trading faces multiple uncertainties, making it extremely hard and challenging to formulate appropriate decisions and plans. Therefore, this study uses interval two-stage stochastic programming (ITSP) method to model the emission rights trading process with multiple uncertainties. It can promote the secondary optimal allocation of the emission rights between the demander and the supplier after the initial allocation. Externalities caused by environmental problems are internalized through the form of emission rights trading, thereby reducing the transaction costs and promoting the coordination and integrity of water pollution control among governments in a basin. Finally, the Yellow River basin is taken as an example for case analysis. The results show that the net revenue of emission rights system in the transaction status is better than that in the non-transaction status, and the average gap of net income reaches [171.031, 193.056] billion yuan. Under different reduction policies, the average water pollutant emission reduction in transaction status is [451.15, 628.34] thousand tons, which is generally less than [516.57, 670.05] thousand tons in non-transaction status. As policies get stricter and assimilative capacity of water bodies dwindles, reduction shrinks, leading to higher risks and economic loss from being unable to meet the discharge demand. When reduction policies are relatively loose and assimilative capacity is high, emission rights trading volume peaks. At this time, the trading volume of COD reached [29.05, 40.76] thousand tons, and that of NH3-N reached [3.74, 4.31] thousand tons. All these findings will offer insights for decision-makers on how to strike a balance between economic benefits and emission rights trading plans in the Yellow River basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic assessment of the water environment reflects variations in water resources in a basin under the combined influence of nature and humans and is a prerequisite for rational water management. This study provides an integrated assessment of the water environment in a water quantity-quality-soil model. Using the long-term monthly data from hydrological monitoring stations, the water environment of the Yellow River basin is assessed from the year 2006 to 2019. The kernel density estimation and the Dagum Gini coefficient are used to analyze the spatial and temporal imbalances of the water environment. Geographic detectors are used to extract external driving factors of the unbalanced evolution. The study results reveal that (1) the water environment in the basin shows a fluctuating downward trend, which mainly depends on the organic pollution control indicators, with a contribution of 22.85%. Scores of the water environment in the midstream are lower than those in the upstream and downstream due to the heavy pollutant discharges. (2) The spatial imbalance shows a fluctuating downward trend. Inter-regional variation is the primary source of regional variation in the water environment, with an average contribution of 56.02%. (3) The temporal imbalance of the water environment is on the rise, with a degree of multipolarity. The significant left trailing feature of the kernel density curve suggests that there are areas within the basin where the water environment is extremely poor. (4) For the overall basin and upstream, economic development and technological innovation are the main external driving factors influencing the spatial and temporal imbalances of the water environment. For the midstream and downstream, population density and environmental regulations are the main drivers. The interaction of any two factors has a greater impact than the single one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yellow River basin (YRB) plays an important role in China's economic and social growth. Based on different dimensions, we adopted the radial basis function (RBF) neural network model and the obstacle degree model to examine the water resource carrying capacity (WRCC) of the YRB. From 2005 to 2020, the WRCC of the entire YRB, as well as the upstream and midstream regions, improved, but the WRCC of the downstream region remained poor, revealing spatial differences. The overall improvement in the WRCC of the Yellow River's nine provinces is good, but the WRCC of Inner Mongolia and Henan is poor, suggesting regional differences. From the standpoint of obstacle factors, the development and usage rate of surface water resources are the main challenges. In 2020, the obstacle degree of the YRB reached 87.4871%. The irrigated area rate in Gansu was the primary obstacle factor, and the obstacle degree reached 73.0238%. Qinghai's industrial aspects mostly hindered the improvement of its WRCC, with an obstacle degree of 31.36%. The results provide a theoretical reference for the high-quality development of the YRB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin have become major national strategies in China. Therefore, reducing carbon emissions in the Yellow River Basin through efficient industrial agglomeration is necessary for achieving the goals of carbon peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060. The Yellow River Basin is an important base for energy, chemicals, raw materials, and industry in China, making it important to study the effects of different industrial agglomeration types on carbon productivity from the perspective of agglomeration externalities. Therefore, taking 2009–2019 panel data for prefecture-level cities in the Yellow River Basin, this study uses a spatial Durbin model to investigate the spatial spillover effects of industrial agglomeration (i.e., specialized, diversified, and competitive agglomeration) on carbon productivity. Furthermore, the moderating effects of urbanization level and environmental regulation are analyzed. The results reveal, first, the existence of spatial correlation in carbon productivity across different cities in the Yellow River Basin. Second, diversified and competitive agglomeration significantly increase carbon productivity, although competitive agglomeration has beggar-thy-neighbor spillover effects. Meanwhile, the effect of specialized agglomeration is not significant. Third, the effects of different types of industrial agglomeration differ significantly between cities in different locations and with different resource endowments. Fourth, urbanization level and environmental regulation have different moderating effects in the relationship between different types of industrial agglomeration and carbon productivity. These findings provide evidence for further developing rational industrial agglomeration patterns to enhance carbon productivity in the Yellow River Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring the influencing factors and improvement paths of green water use efficiency (GWUE) based on different regions is very important for the protection and utilization of water resources in the Yellow River Basin (YRB). However, previous studies focused only on the external impact of water use efficiency and did not take into account both internal and external factors. For the zoning of the YRB, the traditional upper, middle, and lower zoning methods were mostly used, and they could not show the impact of climatic and geological conditions. Therefore, based on ecogeographical divisions, the dynamic evolutionary characteristics, regional differences, and internal inefficiencies of green water use efficiency for 48 cities in the YRB from 2008 to 2018 are analyzed using a data envelopment analysis-slack-based measure (DEA-SBM) model, global Malmquist‒Luenberger (GML) index decomposition, and kernel density estimation. We further use a panel Tobit model to analyze the external influencing factors of green water use efficiency and propose ways to improve the utilization of water resources in different regions from both the internal and external perspectives. The results are as follows: (1) During the study period, the GWUE fluctuated between 0.58 and 0.67 and showed a trend of improving in the arid areas and deteriorating in the humid area. (2) Exploring the sources of inefficiency from the internal perspective reveals that the labor redundancy, capital redundancy, and wastewater redundancy in the semihumid area are higher; the energy redundancy in the semiarid area is higher; and the economic output in the arid area is insufficient. (3) From the GML perspective, the absolute difference in the green water use efficiency of the cities in the YRB is expanding. Regarding the technical efficiency (EC) index, the technical efficiency of the semiarid area has a convergence effect. Regarding the technological progress (TC) index, the gap in the arid area has been widening, and the technology in the semihumid and semiarid areas is converging backward. (4) There are significant differences in the external factors affecting GWUE in different ecogeographical regions. This study can help the government consider ecogeographical factors when formulating water resource-related policies, and it provides a scientific reference for how to better utilize water resources in different regions of the YRB from both the internal and external perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Well-matched pattern of water and soil resources can provide strong support for agricultural development. Most previous studies have considered the total amount of water resources, the available water resources, or the amount of irrigation water; the characteristics of water resources in different districts have been ignored. This study proposes a method to evaluate the matching of agricultural water and soil resources by combining administrative units and subbasins at different spatial scales while accounting for the variability of precipitation “green water” resources within each spatial unit. Taking the Yellow River Basin in China as an example, the generalized water and soil resource matching coefficient was applied to evaluate the spatial match between water and soil resources in nine provinces among the secondary water subregions within the Yellow River Basin. The results show the following: the degree of matching between agricultural water and soil resources in Sichuan Province (above Longyangxia) was relatively good, while that in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (endorheic region) was relatively poor. The temporal variation trends of water and soil resources in Qinghai Province (Longyangxia to Lanzhou), Gansu Province (Longmen to Sanmenxia), Shanxi Province (Longmen to Sanmenxia), and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (Lanzhou to Hekou town) were significantly reduced, and the remaining provinces exhibited no significant changes. According to the relationship between the generalized agricultural water and soil resource matching coefficient and the ratio of “blue water” to “green water,” the study area was divided into four zones, and specific policy measures were proposed for each zone, especially those with unsatisfactory or unstable matching characteristics over time. For zones I and II with a relatively high degree of water and soil resource matching, the government should actively build irrigation facilities to ensure that the water conservancy conditions therein can be fully utilized. For zone III, the government should support the construction of water conservancy facilities and improve the utilization rate of water resources. The water shortage problem in zone IV can be alleviated by establishing an interconnected water system project with zones I and II or a cross-basin water transfer project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastic pollution has attracted worldwide attention. Compared with the status quo of microplastic pollution in marine environment and other major rivers and lakes, the relevant data of the Yellow River Basin is relatively poor. The abundance, types, and spatial distribution characteristics of microplastic pollution in the silts and surface water of the Yellow River Basin were reviewed. Meanwhile, the status of microplastic pollution in the national center city and Yellow River Delta wetland was discussed, and the corresponding prevention and control measures were put forward. The data collected in this study showed that the spatial distribution of microplastic pollution in silts and surface water of the Yellow River Basin increased from upstream to downstream, especially in the Yellow River Delta wetland. There are obvious differences between the types of microplastics in silt and surface water in the Yellow River Basin, which is mainly related to the materials of microplastics. Compared with similar regions in China, the microplastic pollution levels in national key cities and national wetland parks in the Yellow River Basin are in the medium to high degree, which should be paid attention to. Plastic exposure through various ways will cause serious impact on aquaculture and human health in the Yellow River beach area. To control microplastic pollution in the Yellow River Basin, it is necessary to improve the relevant production standards, laws, and regulations and improve the capacity of biodegradable microplastics and the engineering degradation capacity of plastic waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-quality utilization of land resources (HULR) is critical to the security of land ecosystem and sustainable socioeconomic development. To promote HULR, we explored the spatiotemporal differences and influencing factors of HULR in the Yellow River Basin (an important ecological barrier in China) by using entropy method, spatial panel regression model, and geographically and temporally weighted regression model. We found that the HULR values were 0.22 to 0.28 from 2008 to 2019, showing an increasing trend with obvious spatiotemporal differences. The spatial connectivity, technological innovation, industrialization, industrial upgrading, and marketization are important factors influencing HULR, and different factors have different spatial effects in different regions. Therefore, the important principle of HULR is to pursue the sustainable land utilization within the ecological environment carrying capacity, taking into account the unique ecological and socioeconomic conditions of each region. We hope that our study can provide references for HULR around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The water–energy–food nexus is a complex system where balancing the trade-offs across water, energy, and food sectors is especially difficult in resource-deficient areas. The Yellow River Basin is an area in which water shortages lead to conflicts among water, energy, and food resources. Thus, investigating the evolution state and spatial characteristics of the water–energy–food nexus in the Yellow River Basin is essential for the management of resources and sustainable development orientation of the region's water–energy–food nexus system. This study proposed an integrated assessment framework by using synergy theory and the integrated index system method. The improved Lotka–Volterra symbiotic model was used to elucidate the development and synergy evolution status of the water–energy–food nexus system in prefecture-level cities in the Yellow River Basin between 2004 and 2019. The results show that the order degree of the water and energy subsystems in the Yellow River Basin increased by an average of 0.12 and 0.42, on average respectively, from 2004 to 2019, whereas that of the food subsystem only increased by an average of 0.004 compared to the initial year. Furthermore, most prefecture-level cities experienced subsystem degradation of one or two subsystems during the evolution of the water–energy–food nexus system. Based on the uniqueness and evolution process of each city, there are eight possibilities for system evolution and three types of feedback state between each pair of subsystems, which may lead to a certain spatial aggregation. Additionally, the interaction and competition states are more common than synergy states in the water–energy–food nexus system of the Yellow River Basin. This study provides an important basis and suggestions for the internal relationship and sustainable orientation of water–energy–food nexus systems in such water-deficient areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is an important content of environment management to accurately identify the time change and spatial distribution of net anthropogenic nitrogen inputs (NANI) in the river basin. In order to develop a unified management and diverse control strategy that fits the characteristics of the basin, this study establishes the NANI-S model combining the NANI model with the spatial autocorrelation analysis method, which is a quantification-analysis-control process, and takes the 70 prefecture-cities in the Yellow River Basin (YRB) as the study area. The result shows that (1) the NANI of YRB increased first and then decreased with an average NANI value of 6787.59 kg/(km2·a), showing that the overall N pollution situation of the YRB shows a trend of improvement in nitrogen (N) fertilizer input as the main source, and the average contribution rate was 47.45%. (2) There were obvious spatial differences in the NANI in the YRB because the global Moran's I fluctuated between 0.67 and 0.78. Cities with high NANI clustered in the middle and lower reaches, while low NANI clustered in the upper reaches. (3) Improving fertilizer utilization rate and industrial and domestic sewage treatment capacity was the key point of N control. Based on the results, practical policy recommendations for water pollution management were constructed, which provides a scientific basis for pollution prevention and high-quality development in the basin. In addition, this analysis method can also be applied to other basin N management studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the current global goal of carbon neutrality, the relationship between cultivated land intensive use (CLIU) and carbon emission efficiency (CEE) should be explored to address the global climate crisis and move toward a low-carbon future. However, previous work in this has been conducted at provincial/regional scales and few have identified the spatial correlation between CLIU and CEE at the scale of large river basins. Therefore, this study explored the spatiotemporal characteristics of CLIU, cultivated land carbon emissions (CLCE), and CEE, as well as the spatial correlation between CLIU and CEE in the Yellow River Basin (YRB), China. A comprehensive evaluation model, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) coefficient methodology, existing data envelopment analysis model, and bivariate spatial autocorrelation models were used to analyze statistical data from 2005 to 2017. We found that the overall CLIU and CLCE values in the YRB exhibited a continuous increase; the average carbon emission total efficiency and carbon emission scale efficiency first decreased and then increased, and the average carbon emission pure technical efficiency gradually decreased. Areas of high CLCE were concentrated in eastern areas of the YRB, whereas those of high CLIU, carbon emission total efficiency, carbon emission scale efficiency, and carbon emission pure technical efficiency predominantly appeared in the eastern areas, followed by central and western areas of the YRB. Spatial analysis revealed a significant spatial dependence of CLIU on CEE. From a global perspective, the spatial correlations between CLIU and CEE changed from positive to negative with time. Moreover, the aggregation degree between CLIU and CEE gradually decreases with time, while the dispersion degree increases with time, and the spatial correlation gradually weakens. The local spatial autocorrelation further demonstrates that the number of high–low and low–high clusters between CLIU and CEE gradually increases over time, while the number of high–high and low–low clusters gradually decreased over time. Collectively, these findings can help policymakers formulate feasible low-carbon and efficient CLIU policies to promote win–win cooperation among regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A better understanding of the spatial coordination relationship between tourism urbanisation and resources environment carrying capacity (RECC) is vital for the regional selection of key eco-liveable tourist cities in the Yellow River Basin. This study addressed this research issue by evaluating and partitioning tourism urbanisation level and RECC of the Yellow River Basin in 2005, 2011, and 2018 using a geographic information system (GIS) technology, spatial autocorrelation model, and partition method. Empirical results suggest that the tourism urbanisation level of Shaanxi Province maintains its leading position, while Shanxi Province has great development potential. The high-value areas of RECC are concentrated in Gansu, Inner Mongolia, and Shandong provinces. The degree of spatial agglomeration of the tourism urbanisation level and RECC has been improved. The RECC exhibits a greater restrictive effect on the current high-level areas of tourism urbanisation, and the spatial correspondence between them is weak. Based on the findings of this study, a series of optimisation strategies have been proposed to promote the sustainable development of tourism urbanisation in the Yellow River Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, China's economic development has entered a "new normal." Exploring industrial ecological efficiency (IEE) in the background of economic transformation is of great significance to promote China's industrial transformation and upgrading and achieving high-quality economic development. Based on the super-efficiency DEA model, this study evaluated the IEE of cities in the Yellow River Basin from 2008 to 2017. Exploratory spatial data analysis methods were used to explore the spatial-temporal evolutionary characteristics, and a panel regression model was established to explore the influencing factors of IEE. The research results showed that the IEE in the Yellow River Basin exhibited an elongated S-shaped evolutionary trend from 2008 to 2017, and the mean IEE of cities presented a trend, whereby Yellow River Basin's regions could be ranked in the following order: lower reaches > middle reaches > upper reaches. There was significant spatial autocorrelation of the IEE in the Yellow River Basin, and the hot and cold spots showed an obvious "spatial clubs" phenomenon. The results of panel regression show that the influence factors of IEE in the Yellow River Basin showed spatial heterogeneity in their effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the buffer zone is the bridge between the river and surrounding territory, it experiences remarkable response to hydrological variance due to dam construction. To identify the accumulated impacts, two adjacent buffer zone sections of similar size on the Yellow River were compared. A time series of land cover distributions were analysed for changes of the buffer zones. After the dam service, a large area of wetlands and water area disappeared in the section with dam, which was also the consequence of the sedimentation in the reservoir. The areal extent for seven types of land cover was analysed in the buffer zone at distances of 10 and 5.5 km from the river. The land cover transition matrices within the 10 km zone for three time periods (1976-1996) were calculated to further clarify the transformation process. The farmland in the 10 km zone of dam increased 3 times in three decades, but it just rose the 50 % in the zone without dam. The land cover transition matrices analysis indicated that the major transitions in the dammed section were wetland, grassland and water area to farmland, as well as the mutual transformation of water area and wetlands. Two sections of the critical buffer zone within 5.5 km of the water were delineated into ten independent, 0.5 km annular gradient zones to determine the spatial variation of grassland, water area and wetland. The gradient zone analysis demonstrated that the dam construction accelerated the appearance of wetlands and also caused considerable pressure on the water and grassland area types. Upon comparing these temporal and spatial aspects, the increase of farmlands and wetlands in the earliest period was found to be the direct result of damming. The weakening hydrological alteration due to damming was concluded to significantly affect the temporal-spatial variations of the river buffer zone, particularly in the 5.5 km distance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use Mann-Kendall trend test and Lepage method to study spatial and temporal variations of the streamflow series over the past 50 years based on daily hydrologic data from six gauging stations in the Yellow River basin. Research results indicate that: (1) The streamflow of the Yellow River basin is decreasing and water resource deficit tends to be more serious from the upper to the lower Yellow River basin; (2) Zero-flow days are observed after 1970 and overwhelmingly prevail during 1990-2000. Moreover, zero-flow events are observed mainly during spring and summer; (3) Low flow events are more sensitive to climatic changes and human activities when compared to the high flow events, which is mainly reflected by larger fluctuation of timing of change points. Furthermore, the timing of change point of hydrologic events tends to be earlier from the upper to the lower Yellow River basin, indicating more intensive impacts of human activities on water resource in the lower Yellow River basin. The current research will be greatly helpful for sound and effective water resource management in the Yellow River basin, being characterized by serious water deficit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking the Yellow River basin as the study area, the social network analysis method is used to analyze the network structure characteristics and the differentiation mechanism of tourism flow (total volume, automobile, train, and airplane). Through analysis, it is found that the factors influencing the geographical characteristics of the tourism flow network structure in Gan Su section along the Yellow River are mainly tourism resources and tourism traffic accessibility. Tourism resources involve the characteristics of resources themselves, the similarity, and complementarity of tourism resources. The higher the resource level of a tourism node, the more chance it has to become a core tourism node or a transit tourism node. The more distinctive the resource points of tourism nodes themselves, the greater the chance of tourists to visit. The accessibility of traffic is restrictive and guiding to the tourist flow. Usually, when choosing a tourism node, tourists first consider node resources, popularity and its geographical location. Under the condition that node resources and popularity are not different with their geographical characteristics, tourists are more willing to go to tourism nodes with better transportation accessibility. The overall structure of tourism flow network is characterized by "large looseness and small cluster," forming a tourism flow network with provincial capital cities as the core. There are many subnets in the middle and lower reaches of the region, relatively sparse subnets in the upstream region, and almost no formed subnets in the inter-provincial border area. The core edge feature is obvious, and the "trickle down effect" of the core area to the edge area is limited. The unevenness of tourism flow distribution, the asymmetry of tourism flow direction, and the connectivity difference of different networks jointly shape the network structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social and economic development processes require large amounts of natural resources and in some cases seriously deteriorate river water quality. Since the reform and expansion era began, China has vigorously pursued socioeconomic development but neglected environmental protection. However, in recent years, improvements in environmental awareness and the implementation of environmental protection measures have led to a balanced relationship between economic development and the environment. In this study, the Yangtze River Basin and the Yellow River Basin were selected as research areas. We used a combination of canonical correlation analysis (CCA) and a distance-based influence assessment method to quantitatively assess the influence of socioeconomic development on river water quality. The results revealed a strong correlation between socioeconomic development and river water quality. The degree of influence of socioeconomic development on water quality varied not only temporally but also spatially due to differences in socioeconomic development and hydrometeorology in the two basins in North and South China. The average degree of influence in the Yangtze River Basin was between 0.22 and 0.27, and that in the Yellow River Basin was between 0.2 and 0.36. Moreover, the degree of influence in the Yangtze River Basin in the wet season was greater than that in the dry season, whereas the opposite pattern was observed in the Yellow River Basin. The degree of influence in both basins gradually declined after 2011, indicating that the coupling and coordination between socioeconomic development and environmental protection have continuously improved and that the water quality has gradually improved. By analysing the influences of various socioeconomic indicators on water quality, we found that the main factors that influence water quality are per capita GDP and urbanization rate in the Yangtze River Basin and urbanization rate in the Yellow River Basin. The results provide a basis for future sustainable development in the Yangtze River Basin and the Yellow River Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the importance of the Yellow River to China, climate change for the middle reaches of the Yellow River Basin (YRB) has been investigated far less than for other regions. This work focuses on future changes in mean and extreme climate of the YRB for the near-term (2021–2040), mid-term (2041–2060), and far-term (2081–2100) future, and assesses these with respect to the reference period (1986–2005) using the latest REgional MOdel (REMO) simulations, driven by three global climate models (GCMs) and assuming historical and future [Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 2.6 and 8.5] forcing scenarios, over the CORDEX East Asia domain at 0.22° horizontal resolution. The results show that REMO reproduces the historical mean climate state and selected extreme climate indices reasonably well, although some cold and wet biases exist. Increases in mean temperature are strongest for the far-term in winter, with an average increase of 5.6 °C under RCP 8.5. As expected, the future temperatures of the warmest day (TXx) and coldest night (TNn) increase and the number of frost days (FD) declines considerably. Changes to mean temperature and FD depend on elevation, which could be explained by the snow-albedo feedback. A substantial increase in precipitation (34%) occurs in winter under RCP 8.5 for the far-term. Interannual variability in precipitation is projected to increase, indicating a future climate with more extreme events compared to that of today. Future daily precipitation intensity and maximum 5-day precipitation would increase and the number of consecutive dry days would decline under RCP 8.5. The results highlight that pronounced warming at high altitudes and more intense rainfall could cause increased future flood risk in the YRB, if a high GHG emission pathway is realized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]