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Water conservation (WC) is a critical ecological service function in the Yellow River Basin (YRB). There is currently a lack of detailed exploration of WC development processes and the impact mechanisms of driving factors at spatiotemporal scales in the YRB. By collecting data on DEM, land use, soil, meteorology, reservoirs, and observed discharge, this study established a large-scale WC model using the soil and water assessment tool (SWAT). The abrupt change test, empirical orthogonal function (EOF), wavelet analysis, hierarchical partitioning analysis (HPA), geodetectors, and aridity index were employed to analyze the multi-spatiotemporal characteristics and driving forces of WC calculated using the water balance method. The results are as follows: (1) The average WC among the YRB was 9.11 mm (74.68 × 108 m3) from 1960 to 2020. Pasture and forests contributed to 48.65% and 22.05% of the average annual WC, respectively. (2) WC exhibited four forms: less/more in the YRB, more in the southeast (northwest), and less in the northwest (southeast). (3) Forests and pastures in land use had higher average WC capacity, while Gansu, Shaanxi, and Qinghai ranked in the top three for average WC among the nine provinces. (4) Precipitation was the major driving force affecting WC variations, with the interaction between precipitation and actual evapotranspiration being the most significant. (5) Drought was a significant cause of negative WC. Protecting and managing crucial WC areas was essential for improving the ecological environment. This research elucidates the driving forces of WC in the YRB, providing scientific support for improving regional WC and promoting sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yellow River basin is an important ecological security barrier and ecologically vulnerable region in China. Landscape ecological risk assessment and influencing factor analysis based on land-use/land-cover change (LUCC) and boosted regression tree (BRT) models are of great significance to the coordinated and sustainable development of regional ecological environment and social economy. Based on LUCC and driving factor data from 1980 to 2020, the ecological risk index (ERI) model was constructed to evaluate the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of ecological risk in the past 40 years. Especially, a new method of influencing factor analysis based on the BRT model is proposed. The final index size of the influencing factors was further quantitatively evaluated. The results showed that the spatial distribution pattern of landscape ecological risk in the Yellow River basin was “highest in the north and lowest in the south, highest in the west and lowest in the east.” During the periods, the overall ecological risk and high risk increased first and then decreased. Elevation (24.8%) was the most important factor affecting landscape ecological risk, followed by precipitation (17.8%), GDP (15.2%), and temperature (14.6%). It showed that the particularity of the geographical location of the Yellow River basin eventually led to the stronger influence of natural factors on the change in landscape ecological risk under the interference of human activities. This study will provide a new perspective for quantitative assessment of the final contribution rate of landscape ecological risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to fully explore and realize the value of soil and water conservation carbon sink in the Yellow River Basin, and effectively promote its development and market trading, on the basis of clarifying the connotation and characteristics of soil and water conservation car- bon sink in the Yellow River Basin, its quality was evaluated from three dimensions; the contribution quality of new carbon storage, the contribution quality of sustainable development, and the quality of carbon sink production process. This paper built an evaluation index system composed of 3 first-level indicators, 14 second-level indicators and 47 third-level indicators, and pointed out the appropriate methods for determining the weights of indicators at all levels and the methods for calculating the carbon sink quality index of soil and water conservation. It suggests that: firstly, we should carry out a whole process pilot project in the Yellow River Basin including high-quality soil and water conservation carbon sink development, monitoring and accounting, carbon sink project rating, information disclosure, and market trading; secondly, we should strengthen international cooperation and exchanges, learn from the differentiated pricing mechanism of the international voluntary emission reduction market, and build a carbon sink pricing system for soil and water conservation in the Yellow River Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regional innovation ecosystem is a crucial foundation and driving force for economic and social development. Based on the a- nalysis of the formation process and evolutionary mechanisms of dissipative structures in regional innovation ecosystems, and drawing on the translated Brusselator model, criteria for determining the formation of dissipative structures in regional innovation ecosystems were derived. On this basis, an indicator system for the evolution of dissipative structures in the Yellow River Basin's innovation ecosystem was developed. The study examined the evolution of the dissipative structures in the Yellow River Basin's innovation ecosystem from 2013 to 2021 and used the Getis-Ord Gi* index method to analyze its spatial distribution. The results indicate that within the Yellow River Basin, the provinces of Shandong, Henan, and Sichuan have established innovation ecosystem dissipative structures. Among them, Shandong exhibits a stable development trend in its dissipative structure level, while Sichuan and Henan have experienced periodic fluctuations in their dissipative structure levels during their formation. The determination values for the evolution of the innovation ecosystem's dissipative structures in the upper, middle, and lower reaches of the Yellow River Basin show an upward trend. The dissipative structure level is the highest in the lower reaches, followed by the middle reaches, with the lowest level in the upper reaches. In the Yellow River Basin, the innovation ecosystem's dissipative structure in the lower reaches shows hotspot clustering, the middle reaches display a secondary hotspot-secondary coldspot clustering centered around Shaanxi Province, and the upper reaches have not yet formed significant coldspot clustering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to promote the high quality development of the Yellow River Basin, the efficiency of water-energy-food (W-E-F) linkage system and its influencing factors were investigated, and the ways to improve the system efficiency were explored. Firstly, the efficiency of the W-E-F linkage system in the Yellow River Basin and provinces (regions) was measured by three-stage DEA model. Secondly, the efficiency results of the whole Yellow River Basin and provinces (regions) were analyzed in time and space. Finally, the influencing factors of W-E-F linkage system efficiency were investigated empirically by using the two-way fixed effect model. The results show that a) the efficiency of the whole W-E-F linkage system in the Yellow River Basin shows a fluctuating upward trend, and the spatial distribution pattern of efficiency in- creases in the upper, middle and lower Yellow River; b) The provinces (regions) in the Yellow River Basin have a certain capacity of re- sources allocation, and the scale efficiency value in the third stage has been decreased; c) Food security, energy security, environmental protection expenditure, R&D investment and per capita GDP all play significant positive roles in promoting the efficiency of W-E-F linkage system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fully understanding the coupling coordination state of the water resources-ecology-society system is of great practical significance to alleviate the pressure on water resources and ecology in the Yellow River Basin and realize the sustainable development of the basin. This study focused on the panel data of the nine provinces within the YRB from 2006 to 2021. The evaluation indicators for each subsystem were selected based on the Pressure-State-Response theory (PSR). The principal component analysis method and the coupling coordination model were used to analyze the coordinated development level and its spatial and temporal characteristics of water resources-ecology-society systems. Additionally, the GM (1,1) gray prediction model was employed for development trend prediction. The results indicate that a) comprehensive evaluation index of water resources-ecology-society system in YRB has shown an overall upward trend. The water resources subvsystems of different provinces experience significant fluctuations over the years, but they are on the rise on the whole. The ecology sub-systems per- form better in most provinces, while society sub-systems exhibit notable advantages in the large provinces of economy and population. b) Coupling coordination degree of water resources-ecology-society system has gradually increased among all provinces during the research period, although there remains a significant development gap between them. In 2021, Inner Mongolia and Sichuan Province have achieved good coordination level, while Ningxia has just entered the intermediate coordination level. c) It is predicted that the coupled coordination of water resources-ecological-social system in the Yellow River Basin will continue to rise to 0.798 in 2022-2025, which is close to good coordination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to open the policy window of science and technology enabling ecological protection in the Yellow River Basin and achieve a high degree of adaptation between policy supply and practical demand, based on realistic examination and theoretical dialogue, the supply and demand state of science and technology enabling ecological protection in the Yellow River Basin was analyzed. The results show that there is a practical and theoretical deviation in the supply and demand state of ecological protection in the Yellow River Basin empowered by science and technology, and the policy window is the key variable to determine the supply and demand state of ecological protection in the Yellow River Basin empowered by science and technology. There are obvious regional differences in the supply and demand state of scientific and technological enabling ecological protection in the nine provinces (regions) of the Yellow River Basin, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia and Qinghai belong to the zero state of supply and demand, Shaanxi, Shanxi and Gansu fall short of supply and demand. Henan, Shandong and Sichuan basically belong to the state of adaptation of supply and demand. According to the different state of supply and demand, the provinces (regions) of the Yellow River Basin should constantly open the policy window of ecological protection enabled by science and technology through the strategy of resilience adjustment, so as to realize the transformation of policy supply from “mismatch” to “adaptation”. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yellow River Basin has an important strategic position in China’s economic and social development and ecological security, and promoting the integration of the digital economy and the real economy is an important approach to achieving high-quality economic development. This study evaluates the level of digital-real integration and its spatial differences in the nine provinces or regions of the Yellow River Basin from 2013 to 2021 on the basis of a system of indicators for the digital economy and the real economy. It is found that; the development level of digital economy in the Yellow River Basin is on the rise, while the development level of real economy is on the decline due to environmental protection and other factors, but it has stabilized in the near future. The level of digital-real integration in the Yellow River Basin has changed from "on the verge of out of balance" to "barely harmonized", and the spatial pattern presents the distribution characteristics of "the downstream leads, the midstream is in the middle, and the upstream lags behind", and the overall spatial difference shows a trend of narrowing-widening-shrinking, of which the net difference between regions is the main source. Finally, recommendations are proposed in terms of constructing a digital-real integration platform, investing in new digital infrastructure, digital technology innovation, and developing the real economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to enrich and deepen the theoretical research and practical exploration of low-carbon economic transformation, based on the theoretical analysis of the mechanism of low-carbon economic transformation to promote the synergistic efficiency of pollution reduction and carbon reduction, set up a two-way fixed-effects baseline model and a mechanism effect model, take the synergistic efficiency of pollution reduction and carbon reduction as the explanatory variable, take the low-carbon economic transformation as the core explanatory variable, and use the government’s financial input, the level of marketisation, and the public’s concern for the environment as the moderating variables.With the level of economic development, population size, financial development level, environmental regulation intensity, and industrialisation level as control variables, based on the panel data of 99 sample cities in nine provinces (districts) in the Yellow River Basin from 2010to 2020, we empirically analysed the promotional effect of the low-carbon economic transition on the synergistic efficiency of pollution reduction and carbon emission reduction in the Yellow River Basin, and carried out a series of robustness tests, heterogeneity test, mechanism analysis and so on. The conclusions are as follows: regardless of whether control variables are added or not, and whether the lag of core explanatory variables is taken into account or not, the empirical results of the two-way fixed baseline model and the results of the robustness test show that the low-carbon economic transition significantly promotes the synergistic efficiency of pollution reduction and carbon reduction in the Yellow River Basin; the test of heterogeneity shows that the low-carbon economic transition promotes the synergistic efficiency of pollution reduction and carbon reduction in the upper reaches of the Yellow River Basin, the resource cities, and the capital cities of the province more significantly. Mechanism analysis shows that improving the marketisation level, government’s financial input, and public concern for the environment all play a positive regulating effect on the synergistic effect of pollution reduction and carbon reduction, i.e., they enhance the promotional effect of low-carbon economic transformation on the synergistic effect of pollution reduction and carbon reduction in the Yellow River Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The digital economy has emerged as a new trend in economic development and has profoundly influenced the process of achieving common prosperity. However, current research on the correlation between the digital economy and common prosperity from the perspective of a river basin still needs to be strengthened. Based on this, the present study first theoretically elaborates the conceptual meanings of "digital economy" and "common prosperity", as well as the mechanism by which the digital economy empowers common prosperity. Subsequently, a scientifically-constructed performance evaluation index system for the digital economy and common prosperity is established. Considering the Yellow River Basin as an empirical case study area, this study investigates the mechanism and spatial spillover effects of the digital economy in empowering common prosperity from 2005 to 2020. The research findings reveal that: (1) The Yellow River Basin exhibits a basin characteristic with downstream > midstream > upstream areas regarding the level of common prosperity and digital economy. It indicates that a distinct spatial correlation exists between the two factors. However, the ongoing decrease in both high-level and very high-level areas reflects the lengthy and challenging journey of enhancing the quality and efficiency of the digital economy in empowering common prosperity. (2) The digital economy not only directly impacts common prosperity, but also fosters its development through spatial spillover effects. Among the control factors, informatization and housing levels have a major stimulating effect. (3) There exists a clear regional heterogeneity in how the digital economy affects common prosperity in the Yellow River Basin. Specifically, common prosperity of downstream cities is significantly impacted by the digital economy. The spatial spillover effects of the digital economy on common prosperity exhibit a pronounced "neighborhood as a moat" characteristic. (4) The digital economy facilitates the achievement of shared prosperity through the implementation of mechanisms centered on sharing, affluence, and sustainability. These research findings illuminate the empowering mechanisms and spatial spillover pathways of the digital economy in promoting shared prosperity, aligning with national strategies for ecological conservation and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classifying emission reduction zones on different scales has important implications for the ecological protection and high‐quality development of the Yellow River Basin. Based on remote sensing data and a light‐carbon conversion model, carbon footprints at provincial, municipal, and county scales in the Yellow River Basin are measured. The spatiotemporal evolution critical paths of carbon footprints at the three spatial scales are compared and classified into different zones using spatiotemporal evolution analysis methods. The conclusions are as follows: (1) The carbon footprint increased over the years. The spatial distributions of carbon footprints at the three scales are not only consistent but also different. The study of carbon footprints at the county scale is more conducive to the summary of the spatiotemporal evolution and the formulation of detailed emission reduction schemes. (2) Four provinces, 48 cities, and 373 counties are designated as a "core protected zone"; three provinces, 29 cities, and 177 counties are designated as a "strictly governed zone"; one province, 12 cities, and 47 counties are designated as a "key restricted zone"; four cities and 39 counties are designated as an "alert diffusion zone." (3) The agglomeration expansion trend and the spillover effect of high‐carbon footprint units at the county scale are more obvious. Further enhancement of the path‐locking characteristics of the carbon footprints of counties will make governance more difficult. Effective governance of carbon footprint at the county scale is of urgent concern. These results provide scientific evidence for multiscale carbon emission control and zoning policy formulation in the Yellow River Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ERA5-Land is a valuable reanalysis data resource that provides near-real-time, high-resolution, multivariable data for various applications. Using daily precipitation data from 301 meteorological stations in the Yellow River Basin from 2001 to 2013 as benchmark data, this study aims to evaluate ERA5-Land's capability of monitoring extreme precipitation. The evaluation study is conducted from three perspectives: precipitation amount, extreme precipitation indices, and characteristics of extreme precipitation events. The results show that ERA5-Land can effectively capture the spatial distribution patterns and temporal trends in precipitation and extreme precipitation; however, it also exhibits significant overestimation and underestimation errors. ERA5-Land significantly overestimates total precipitation and indices for heavy precipitation and extreme precipitation (R95pTOT and R99pTOT), with errors reaching up to 89%, but underestimates the Simple Daily Intensity Index (SDII). ERA5-Land tends to overestimate the duration of extreme precipitation events but slightly underestimates the total and average precipitation of these events. These findings provide a scientific reference for optimizing the ERA5-Land algorithm and for users in selecting data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Desertification has had a significant impact on the ecological environment of the Yellow River Basin (YRB) in China. However, previous studies on the evaluation of the ecological environment quality (EEQ) in the YRB have paid limited attention to the indicator of desertification. It is of great significance to incorporate the desertification index into the spatiotemporal assessment of the EEQ in the YRB in order to protect the ecological environment in the region. In this study, based on multi-source remote sensing data from 91 cities in the YRB, this article proposes a desertification remote sensing ecological index (DRSEI) model, which builds upon the traditional Remote Sensing Ecological Index (RSEI) model, to analyze the spatiotemporal changes in the EEQ in the YRB from 2001 to 2021. Furthermore, using the geographic detector (GD), and geographically and temporally weighted regression (GTWR) model, the study assesses the impact of human and natural factors on the EEQ in the YRB. The research findings indicate that: (1) Compared to the traditional RSEI, the improved DRSEI shows a decreasing trend in the evaluation results of the EEQ. Among the 24 cities, the change in DRSEI exceeds 0.05 compared to RSEI, accounting for 26.37% of the YRB. The remaining 67 cities have changes within a range of less than 0.05, accounting for 73.63% of the YRB. (2) The results of the GD for individual and interactive effects reveal that rainfall and elevation have significant individual and interactive effects on the EEQ. Furthermore, after the interaction with natural factors, the explanatory power of human factors gradually increases over time. The spatial heterogeneity results of GTWR demonstrate that rainfall has a strong direct positive impact on the EEQ, accounting for 98.90% of the influence, while temperature exhibits a more pronounced direct inhibitory effect, accounting for 76.92% of the influence. Human activities have a strong negative impact on the EEQ and a weak positive impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of the "ecological priority and green development" strategy, examining the co-evolution between the tourism economy and the efficiency of urban green development can offer both theoretical insights and quantitative foundations to support ecological preservation and high-quality development in China's Yellow River Basin. This research utilized approaches such as the Haken model and the geographically and temporally weighted regression model to investigate the spatiotemporal patterns, synergistic characteristics, and driving factors of the tourism economy and urban green development efficiency within the Yellow River Basin. The findings reveal the following: (1) Regional disparities in the tourism economy are progressively widening, whereas the efficiency of green development tends to decline. Furthermore, both the tourism economy and urban green development efficiency display "high-high clustering" and "low-low clustering" spatially. (2) The synergistic evolution of the two systems displays spatial characteristics of transitioning from polarization to trickle-down effects. (3) Natural factors such as topography and vegetation coverage, as well as human economic factors like industrial structure and the degree of openness, positively promote the synergy. However, elements such as temperature, precipitation, economic development level, and openness to innovation have a certain inhibitory effect on the synergistic evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cooperative and self-enforceable water allocation is a key instrument to manage geopolitical conflict induced by water scarcity, which necessitates the cooperative willingness of the agents and considers their heterogeneity in geography, climate, hydrology, environment and social economy. Based on a multi-indicator system that contains asymmetric information on water volume contribution, current water consumption, water economic efficiency and efforts for eco-environmental protection, this study proposed a water allocation framework by combining the asymmetric power index approach with bankruptcy theory for solving the transboundary water allocation problem under scarcity. The proposed method was applied to the Yellow River Basin in northern China, which is mainly shared by nine provincial districts and frequently suffers from severe water shortages, and its results were compared with six alternative methods. The results highlight the necessity of quantifying agents' willingness to cooperate under the condition of asymmetric negotiation power when making decisions on transboundary water allocations. The proposed method allows for transboundary water allocations through simultaneous consideration of the agent's willingness to cooperate and asymmetric negotiation power, as well as disagreement allocation points, which ensure the stability, fairness and self-enforceability of allocation results. Therefore, it can offer practical and valuable decision-making insights for transboundary water management under water scarcity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the dual constraints of China's carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals, as well as ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin, clarifying the embodied carbon emissions and responsibility sharing of inter-provincial trade is crucial to the carbon reduction strategy of the Yellow River Basin. This paper uses the MRIO (multi-regional input–output) model to measure the production-side and consumption-side responsibility sharing of nine provinces in the Yellow River Basin in 2012 and 2017, revealing the amount and direction of the embodied carbon transfer between provinces, and finally introduces the share of provincial value added as the responsibility sharing factor to compare and analyze the differences between the three responsibility sharing methods. The results show the following: (1) The embodied carbon emissions on the production side in most provinces of the Yellow River Basin were larger than that on the consumption side, with the most significant differences in Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, and Shandong, among which local demand carbon emissions and intermediate product transfer out of carbon emissions were the main causes of production-side carbon emissions. (2) In general, all provinces except Shaanxi were net carbon transfer-in regions, and the embodied carbon was mainly transferred to Beijing, Jiangsu, Guangdong, Zhejiang, and Hebei. (3) Shared responsibility for carbon emissions was jointly determined by the volume of embodied carbon trade and the ability to obtain value added, which lay between production and consumption side responsibility shares. (4) The Yellow River Basin had a large responsibility-sharing factor and embodied carbon trade, and thus needs to take more responsibility for emission reduction. This study is expected to provide scientific support for the strategy of differentiated emission reduction in the Yellow River Basin and enrich the regional carbon accounting methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coordinated development of ecological civilization and tourism contributes to the sustainable development of the Yellow River basin. By constructing an index system and a coupling coordination model, this paper studies the spatiotemporal evolution of the coupling coordination between ecological civilization construction and tourism industry in the nine provinces of the Yellow River basin, from 2008 to 2019. The factors affecting the coupling coordination were analyzed by the obstacle factor diagnosis model. The results of the coupling coordination model show that the overall trend of coupling coordination is on the rise, higher in the middle and lower reaches, and the cause of incoherence evolves from ecological lag to tourism lag. According to the results of obstacle factors analysis, the five upstream regions need to expand the market share of the tourism industry on the basis of promoting ecological system and ecological culture; the two midstream regions need to strengthen the market supply of the tourism industry and focus on the ecological civilization cognition; the two downstream regions can continuously strengthen tourism supply on the basis of protecting the ecological environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decades, the drylands of the Yellow River Basin (YRBD) have undergone profound changes in landscape patterns and ecological dynamics, significantly impacting regional sustainable development. To assess the spatio-temporal variations of ecological risk in the YRBD and provide guidance for sustainable regional development, we constructed a coupled Land Use-Landscape Ecological Risk Model-Geographical Detector-PLUS framework for the assessment, analysis, and simulation of dryland landscape ecological risk (LER). The main findings are as follows: (1) Between 2000 and 2020, the area of built-up land, forest, grassland, and water in the YRBD increased, while the area of unused land and cropland decreased. (2) LER exhibited significant spatial heterogeneity, dominated by Sub-low and Low risks. High risk areas were primarily located in the western Inner Mongolia Plateau, whereas Low risk areas were prevalent in the Loess Plateau, with an overall decline in risk levels over the 20 years. (3) Water resources, ecological status, and human activities are the main driving factors affecting LER, with the impact of human activities becoming increasingly significant over the past 20 years. (4) Under three development scenarios in 2030, the LER is projected to further decrease, although the impact of these scenarios varies across different research sub-regions. Notably, the Ecological Priority Scenario emerges as more effective in mitigating regional LER. (5) Developing precise land use policies tailored to regional characteristics, continuously implementing ecological restoration projects, strengthening water resource management, and enhancing monitoring capabilities are effective ways to reduce LER in the YRBD. This study systematically quantified the impact of different development scenarios on LER in the YRBD, revealing its spatio-temporal characteristics, and emphasized the importance of planning guidance, ecological restoration, and risk monitoring to align regional development with ecological protection. The findings provide scientific evidence for ecological protection and sustainable development in the YRBD and other drylands, offering valuable insights for global dryland ecological risk management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intensification of human activities in the Yellow River Basin has significantly altered its ecosystems, challenging the sustainability of the region’s ecosystem assets. This study constructs an ecosystem asset index for the period from 2001 to 2020, integrating it with human footprint maps to analyze the temporal and spatial dynamics of ecosystem assets and human activities within the basin, as well as their interrelationships. Our findings reveal significant improvement of ecosystem assets, mainly attributed to the conversion of farmland back into natural habitats, resulting in a 15,994 km2 increase in ecological land use. Notably, 45.88% of the basin has experienced concurrent growth in both human activities and ecosystem assets, with ecosystem assets expanding at a faster rate (22.61%) than human activities (17.25%). Areas with high-quality ecosystem assets are expanding, in contrast to areas with intense human activities, which are facing increased fragmentation. Despite a global escalation in threats from human activities to ecosystem assets, the local threat level within the Yellow River Basin has slightly diminished, indicating a trend towards stabilization. Results highlight the critical importance of integrating spatial and quality considerations into restoration efforts to enhance the overall condition of ecosystem assets, especially under increasing human pressures. Our work assesses the impact of human activities on the dynamics of ecosystem assets in the Yellow River Basin from 2001 to 2020, offering valuable insights for quality development in the region, may provide a scientific basis for general watershed ecological protection and sustainable management in a region heavily influenced by human activity but on a path to recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yellow River Basin serves as a vital ecological shield for China, and enhancing the urban ecological efficiency (UEE) is essential for the region's ecological civilization and high-quality development. This research employs the slacks- based measure-data envelopment analysis (SBM-DEA), which incorporates undesirable outputs, and the Malmquist index to measure the UEE of 65 cities in the Yellow River basin from 2008 to 2017, described its spatio-temporal evolution characteristics, and utilizes its influencing factors using the Bootstrap truncated regression model. The main findings are as follows. 1 The UEE in the Yellow River Basin has seen a steady, albeit low, increase from 2008 to 2017, with notable disparities existed in the upper, middle and lower reaches. Low pure technical efficiency is the main factor limiting the improvement of UEE in the Yellow River Basin. 2 Cities with higher ecological efficiency in the Yellow River Basin generally exhibit a spatial distribution pattern of "lower reaches >middle reaches > upper reaches," and it shows that cities with growing UEE are continuously shifting to the middle and lower reaches. 3 Environmental regulation, scientific and educational investment, economic scale, and greening level significantly promote the improvement of UEE in the Yellow River Basin, but population density and industrial structure lead to a decline in UEE. However, this result is heterogeneous between the upper, middle, and lower reaches, such as environmental regulation hindering the growth of UEE in the upper reaches, scientific and educational investment hindering the improvement of UEE in the downstream areas, and industrial structure significantly enhancing UEE in the midstream areas. These findings offer valuable insights for policymakers aiming to address ecological challenges and promote sustainable development within the Yellow River Basin, highlighting the need for targeted strategies that consider regional differences and the unique characteristics of each reach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring the dynamic response of land use and ecological vulnerability (EV) to future climate change and human ecological restoration policies is crucial for optimizing regional ecosystem services and formulating sustainable socioeconomic development strategies. This study comprehensively assesses future land use changes and EV in the Yellow River Basin (YRB), a climate-sensitive and ecologically fragile area, by integrating climate change, land management, and ecological protection policies under various scenarios. To achieve this, we developed an EV assessment framework combining a scenario weight matrix, Markov chain, Patch-generating Land Use Simulation model, and exposure–sensitivity–adaptation. We further explored the spatiotemporal variations of EV and their potential socioeconomic impacts at the watershed scale. Our results show significant geospatial variations in future EV under the three scenarios, with the northern region of the upstream area being the most severely affected. Under the ecological conservation management scenario and historical trend scenario, the ecological environment of the basin improves, with a decrease in very high vulnerability areas by 4.45% and 3.08%, respectively, due to the protection and restoration of ecological land. Conversely, under the urban development and construction scenario, intensified climate change and increased land use artificialization exacerbate EV, with medium and high vulnerability areas increasing by 1.86% and 7.78%, respectively. The population in high and very high vulnerability areas is projected to constitute 32.75–33.68% and 34.59–39.21% of the YRB's total population in 2040 and 2060, respectively, and may continue to grow. Overall, our scenario analysis effectively demonstrates the positive impact of ecological protection on reducing EV and the negative impact of urban expansion and economic development on increasing EV. Our work offers new insights into land resource allocation and the development of ecological restoration policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface water is a crucial part of terrestrial ecosystems and is crucial to maintaining ecosystem health, ensuring social stability, and promoting high-quality regional economic development. The surface water in the Yellow River Basin (YRB) has a high sediment content and spatially heterogeneous sediment distribution, presenting a significant challenge for surface water extraction. In this study, we first analyze the applicability of nine water indexes in the YRB by using the Landsat series images (Landsat 5, 7, 8) and then examine the correlation between the accuracy of the water indexes and suspended particulate matter (SPM) concentrations. On this basis, we propose a surface water extraction method considering the SPM concentrations (SWE-CSPM). Finally, we examine the dynamic variations in the surface water in the YRB at four scales: the global scale, the secondary water resource zoning scale, the provincial scale, and the typical water scale. The results indicate that (1) among the nine water indexes, the MBWI has the highest water extraction accuracy, followed by the AWEInsh and WI2021, while the NDWI has the lowest. (2) Compared with the nine water indexes and the multi-index water extraction rule method (MIWER), the SWE-CSPM can effectively reduce the commission errors of surface water extraction, and the water extraction accuracy is the highest (overall accuracy 95.44%, kappa coefficient 90.62%). (3) At the global scale, the maximum water area of the YRB shows a decreasing trend, but the change amount is small. The permanent water area shows an uptrend, whereas the seasonal water area shows a downtrend year by year. The reason may be that the increase in surface runoff and the construction of reservoir projects have led to the transformation of some seasonal water into permanent water. (4) At the secondary water resource zoning scale, the permanent water area of other secondary water resource zonings shows an increasing trend in different degrees, except for the Interior Drainage Area. (5) At the provincial scale, the permanent water area of all provinces shows an uptrend, while the seasonal water areas show a fluctuating downtrend. The maximum water area of Shandong, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and Qinghai increases slowly, while the other provinces show a decreasing trend. (6) At the typical water scale, there are significant differences in the water area variation process in Zhaling Lake, Eling Lake, Wuliangsuhai, Hongjiannao, and Dongping Lake, but the permanent water area and maximum water area of these waters have increased over the past decade. This study offers significant technical support for the dynamic monitoring of surface water and helps to deeply understand the spatiotemporal variations in surface water in the YRB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An accurate estimation of evapotranspiration (ET) is critical to understanding the water cycle in watersheds and promoting the sustainable utilization of water resources. Although there are various ET products in the Yellow River Basin, various ET products have many uncertainties due to input data, parameterization schemes, and scale conversion, resulting in significant uncertainties in regional ET data products. To reduce the uncertainty of a single product and obtain more accurate ET data, more accurate ET data can be obtained by fusing different ET data. Addressing this challenge, by calculating the uncertainty of three ET data products, namely global land surface satellite (GLASS) ET, Penman–Monteith–Leuning (PML)-V2 ET, and reliability-affordable averaging (REA) ET, the weight of each product is obtained to drive the Bayesian three-cornered Hat (BTCH) algorithm to obtain higher quality fused ET data, which are then validated at the site and basin scales, and the accuracy has significantly improved compared to a single input product. On a daily scale, the fused data's root mean square error (RMSE) is 0.78 mm/day and 1.14 mm/day. The mean absolute error (MAE) is 0.53 mm/day and 0.84 mm/day, respectively, which has a lower RMSE and MAE than the model input data; the correlation coefficients (R) are 0.9 and 0.83, respectively. At the basin scale, the RMSE and MAE of the annual average ET of the fused data are 11.77 mm/year and 14.95 mm/year, respectively, and the correlation coefficient is 0.84. The results show that the BTCH ET fusion data are better than single-input product data. An analysis of the fused ET data on a spatiotemporal scale shows that from 2001 to 2017, the ET increased in 85.64% of the area of the Yellow River Basin. Fluctuations in ET were greater in the middle reaches of the Yellow River than in the upstream and downstream regions. The BTCH algorithm has indispensable reference value for regional ET estimation research, and the ET data after BTCH algorithm fusion have higher data quality than the original input data. The fused ET data can inform the development of management strategies for water resources in the YRB and provide a deeper understanding of the regional water supply and demand balance mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high-quality development paradigm, which emphasizes the organic unity of efficiency, equity, and sustainability, has gained increasing global recognition as an extension of the concept of sustainable green development. In this study, we use green development efficiency as a metric of high-quality development and employ a three-stage Stacks-based Measure Model (SBM) in order to assess the true green development efficiency (GDE) levels of urban agglomerations in China's Yellow River Basin (YRB) from 2011 to 2020. The results indicate that external environmental factors significantly impacted the green development efficiency levels of these urban agglomerations; after removing these factors, their green development efficiency shifted from trendless fluctuations to more consistent upward trends. Additionally, the disparities between different urban agglomerations are the primary sources of overall differences in green development efficiency in the YRB. Influenced by economic development levels and administrative divisions, the degree of internal development imbalance varies among urban agglomerations; however, regional disparities show a decreasing trend, indicating a catch-up effect. Based on these findings, we further propose relevant policy recommendations in this paper. The results of this study help us to understand the current status and trends of high-quality development in the urban agglomerations of the YRB, providing empirical evidence for policy formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to clarify the relationship between urban industrial water resources utilization and carbon emission in the Yellow River Ba- sin, five carbon-water spatial relationship research indicators of industrial carbon emission, industrial carbon emission intensity, industrial water consumption, industrial water intensity and industrial carbon-water coefficient were chosen, and their spatial industrial carbon-water relationship was analyzed by using the Global and Local Moran's Index. The Tapio decoupling model was used to analyze the carbon-water de- coupling relationship of the provinces and cities in the Yellow River Basin. The results show that a) the spatial agglomeration of each research index shows strong positive correlation; b) the majority of the high-high concentration area for carbon emissions locates in Gansu, Shaanxi and Shandong provinces, while the low-low concentration area locates in Inner Mongolia and Qinghai. The high-high cluster area of industrial carbon emission intensity mainly locates in Qinghai, and the low-low cluster area locates in Inner Mongolia. The high-high cluster of industrial water consumption locates in Henan Province, and the low-low cluster locates in Qinghai Province. The high-high cluster area of industrial water intensity and the low-high cluster area locate in Gansu Province. The high-high cluster of carbon water coefficient locates in Qinghai, and the low-low cluster locates in Inner Mongolia and Shandong; c) the majority of the study period shows a negative carbon-water decoupling relationship between the cities in the Yellow River Basin, and there is significant variation in the decoupling stage between provinces and regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to promote the green, low-carbon and high-quality development of agriculture, this paper adopted the super-efficiency SBM model and the entropy method to measure the agricultural carbon emission efficiency and the high-quality development level of agriculture in the Yellow River Basin, and discussed the interaction between the two by using VAR model. The results show that a) the agricultural carbon emission efficiency in the Yellow River Basin is on the rise as a whole. The agricultural carbon emission efficiency of Gansu and Shanxi, Sichuan, Shandong, Henan, Shaanxi and Qinghai, Ningxia and Inner Mongolia is at a lower, medium and higher level respectively. b) The overall level of high-quality agricultural development shows a fluctuating upward trend. Shaanxi, Shanxi, Ningxia and Inner Mongolia, Qinghai and Gansu, Henan, Sichuan and Shandong are at a lower, medium and higher level respectively. c) The improvement of agricultural carbon emission efficiency has a significant effect on the promotion of high-quality agricultural development, while the improvement of high-quality agricultural development has no significant effect on agricultural carbon emission efficiency. Based on the research results, some suggestions were put forward to improve the efficiency of agricultural carbon emissions and promote the high-quality development of agriculture in the Yellow River Basin from the aspects of green and sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yellow River Basin (YRB) is an important ecological barrier and water supply source for the northwest and northern regions of China. Under the dual impacts of climate change and human activities, accurately understanding the water ecological environment of the YRB can provide technical support for environmental protection and high-quality development of the YRB. This article selected 121 monito- ring sections and four indicators, including water quality, phytoplankton, plankton and benthic animals from the mainstream of the Yellow River and its major tributaries of Wuding River, Fenhe River, Weihe River and Yiluo River, to evaluate the overall water ecological environment. The results show that the water quality of the mainstream of the Yellow River is good, reaching Class II standards, while the water quality of the tributaries Wuding River, Fenhe River, Weihe River and Yiluo River generally reaches the Class III standard. The comprehensive water quality index method shows that all sections of the YRB have reached a good level in different seasons, and some sections have reached an excellent level. A total of 136 species belonging to 60 genera and 7 phyla of phytoplankton are detected in the mainstream and important tributaries of the YRB. Compared with the 1980s and 2008, the number of species is decreased, but the biomass is increased significantly. In the past 15 years, the dominant community of phytoplankton in the mainstream and important tributaries of the Yellow River re- mains relatively stable. Four categories and 75 species of planktonic animals are detected, with rotifers (44.00%) and copepods (28.00%) being the main ones. A total of 72 species from 4 categories are detected in benthic animals, with a biomass decrease of 84.83% and 36.97% compared to the 1980s and 2008 respectively. The water quality and the status of phytoplankton, zooplankton and benthic animals in the ma- instream and major tributaries of the Yellow River exhibit significant spatiotemporal heterogeneity, and the overall ecological environment of the water is gradually improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to provide a reference for the implementation of fine ecological environment management and differentiated management and control of ecological governance in the Yellow River Basin, the value of 11 ecosystem services (ESVS) in 4 categories in the Yellow River Basin from 1995 to 2020 was calculated by using the "equivalent factor method of value per unit area", the trade-offs and synergies be- tween various ecosystem services in the Yellow River Basin in six periods were measured by Pearson correlation analysis, and the spatial autocorrelation was used to delineate the ecological management zones of the Yellow River Basin in 2020. The results show that: during the study period, the ESV in the Yellow River Basin show an increasing trend. However, in terms of land types, the proportion of ESV in farm- land, wetlands, and deserts decrease, while the trend of ESV changes in forests, grasslands, and water bodies is opposite. The proportion of supply services, support services and cultural services all show a downward trend, while regulatory services and support services constitute the main body of regional ecosystem service value. Spatially, the unit ecosystem service value is concave in the east-west direction and convex in the north-south direction. Correlation analysis shows that there is a significant positive correlation between the various ecosystem services in the Yellow River Basin, and the strong synergistic relationship accounted for 47.27%, indicating that there is a synergistic relationship be- tween ecosystem services in the Yellow River Basin during the study period. The 410 research units of the Yellow River Basin in 2020 are di- vided into 4 first level divisions and 13 second level divisions, and the corresponding ecological management measures are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on GRACE and GRACE Follow-On satellite, as well as the data of GLDAS, considering the impacts of climate and vegetation, a coupled model of time series decomposition and random forest algorithms was built to reveal the spatial-temporal variations and driving processes of groundwater storage in the Yellow River Basin from 2003 to 2022. The results indicate that a) over the past 20 years, groundwater storage in the basin has significantly decreased, with a rate of 3.3 mm/year, especially in the Fenhe River basin and Guanzhong Plain where the rates are the fastest, ranging from 15 mm/year to 30 mm/year. b) The climate of the basin shows a trend towards warmer and drier, with increased vegetation greenness and evapotranspiration. c) The reduction in groundwater storage is a result of increased groundwater consumption caused by a combination of increased vegetation cover, rising temperatures and increased evapotranspiration. d) The dominant factors for spatial variations in groundwater storage differ significantly, with temperature and vegetation interactions driving the processes in different regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The major national strategy of ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin has been proposed for nearly five years. During this period, the levels of ecological protection, governance, and development in the Yellow River Basin have been rapidly improved. However, the issues of the Yellow River are longstanding and highly complex, far from being resolved overnight. Given the current situation and unresolved challenges in the Yellow River Basin, there is an urgent need to systematically summarize the research and achievements of the past five years, and to provide prospects for future development. This article systematically summarized the research and contributions made by various sectors of society to the Yellow River since the proposal of the major national strategic plan, focusing on scientific research projects, academic papers, academic monographs, and research platforms. Based on in-depth study of the major national strategic ideology and theories such as systems theory, dialectical materialism, and the theory of harmony, and combined with the current situation of the Yellow River Basin and the urgent major issues that need to be addressed, the article presented five prospects for the future development of the Yellow River Basin; multi-disciplinary integration, multi-department collaborative governance, multi-level joint research, multi- platform talent training, multi-approach protection and governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of rational use and optimal allocation of water resources in the Yellow River Basin has received widespread attention from society. Since the 1980s, a series of ongoing studies have been carried out on the formulation of the "87" water allocation scheme and unified water dispatching of the Yellow River, the adjustment of the water diversion scheme under the new runoff conditions, the formulation of water allocation scheme for tributaries and the optimization of water diversion scheme under the changing environments, etc. The research results have improved the optimal regulation and intensive and economical use of water resources in the Yellow River Basin, and realized the continuous flow of the main stream of the Yellow River for 25 years. Facing the promotion of ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin, the research and breakthrough direction of the basin water resources research and breakthroughs under the environmental change and the construction of national multi-level water network was proposed from the aspects of basin water cycle and water re- sources evolution, water use patterns and water demand prediction, healthy water balance, unified allocation of surface and groundwater in the basin, optimal allocation of water resources under the construction of multi-level water network, resilient water resources allocation under the coping with the extreme drying, and the construction of the digital twin Yellow River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the discussion of flood control strategies for the Yellow River and issues like "less water and more sediment" since mod- ern times, this article proposed a management strategy for the wide river section of the lower Yellow River under new circumstances, namely "three embankments coexist, channel and floodplain co-management". This means relying on the river engineering for the first line of defense by upgrading production embankments into sturdy protective embankments, with the main embankment and its protective engineering forming the second line of defense. The roads from the main embankment to the guiding structures are reinforced into grid embankments, and the river channel is regulated according to the principle of "smooth protection of bends and using bends to guide flow". Additionally, protective structures are constructed along the opposite bank of the regulated engineering works. For narrow river sections, significant improvements in flood discharge capacity can be achieved through local widening, and flood control structures that significantly obstruct flow in these areas need to be modified or removed. This approach will also release related flood detention areas and relax the flood passage requirements for floodplain areas in wide river sections. The fundamental strategy for reducing the amount of sediment entering the Yellow River involves using engineering measures and new technologies and materials for the construction of warping dams to change the erosion geography in areas of severe soil erosion. Combined with near-natural restoration and ecological management techniques, actively intercept and reduce sediment production from basin slopes and sustain ecological benefits. Through the construction of the Guxian and Heishanxia hydro-junction works as soon as possible and by enhancing the regulatory role of the backbone project of Sanmenxia, the main structure of the water and sediment regulation system of the Yellow River will be established, creating a mechanism for coordinated water and sediment regulation and optimized water re- sources allocation throughout the river. This will ensure the coordination of water and sediment relationships along the entire river and curb the deterioration of river conditions in the sections of Ningxia and Inner Mongolia. In order to solve the issue of water scarcity in the lower Yellow River, we should restore the conditions for the Yellow River and Wenhe River floods to flow into and flow out Dongping Lake, as well as the function of Nansi Lake floods flowing into the Yellow River. The existing and planned reservoirs along the Yellow River should be inter-connected to play a role in water resources allocation. If a canal is built in the east of the Central Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, the lower Yellow River can serve as a channel for floodwaters from the upper reaches of the Huai River and Han River tributaries to the sea, transforming water disasters from other basins into sediment flushing, irrigation and ecological water for the downstream areas. The implementation of projects like "Transferring Water from the Upstream of the Yangtze River in Sichuan Province to the Yellow River" and "Diverting water resources from Xizang Autonomous Region to Sichuan Province" is fundamentally important for the sustainable development of the Chinese nation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the mother river of China, the Yellow River Basin serves as a crucial ecological domain and economic zone, as well as a vital source of food and energy. It plays an indispensable role in the political, economic, and cultural development of the nation. The ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin have become a major national strategy in China. Yet, the Yellow River is among the most complex and challenging rivers in the world. Throughout China's long history, especially since efforts began to regulate the river, significant achievements have been made in its management and ecological protection. However, many critical issues still need to be addressed. This paper explored the rich history of the Yellow River Basin management and successes, examined the current situation and challenges, and provided recommendations and strategies for achieving long-term stability, sustainability, and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin, such as constructing the water resources security system of the basin, realizing the restoration and protection of the ecological environment in the key areas in the basin, and improving the engineering system of flood control, ice-flood prevention and water-sediment regulation in the basin, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater level declines are largely associated with natural processes and human activities. In particular, the drivers of groundwater change can be more complex during meteorological drought owing to human activities. However, disentangling their specific contribution remains poorly understood. By focusing on semiarid ecosystems in the northern Yellow River Basin - the Ordos - here we elucidate the impact of human activities on the propagation of meteorological droughts to groundwater systems. To comprehensively analyze groundwater variations, we employ the K-means, categorizing them into four distinct patterns. Based on the Pearson correlation coefficient analysis between standardized precipitation index (SPI) and groundwater depth (GWD), we found that the majority of lag time for GWD response to SPI is less than 3 months, and the drivers influencing GWD are classified into three categories: SPI, human activities related to SPI, and human activities unrelated to SPI. Our results reveal that both meteorological droughts and human activities jointly influence GWD across the entire region. Notably, human activities unrelated to SPI have the greatest impact in the irrigation district of Ordos, followed by the western part of Ordos and the Mu Us sandy land in central Ordos. Our findings can guide us to formulate effective drought management policies and practices in semiarid regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigating the spatiotemporal dynamics of vegetation net primary productivity (NPP) and its influencing factors are crucial for green and low-carbon development and facilitate human well-being in the Yellow River Basin (YRB). Although the research on NPP has advanced rapidly, in view of the regional particularity of the YRB, the persistence of its NPP change trend needs to be further discussed and more comprehensive impact factors need to be included in the analysis. Meanwhile, the spatial non-stationarity and scale effects of the impact on NPP when multiple factors are involved remain uncertain. Here, we selected a total of twelve natural and anthropogenic factors and used multi-scale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) to disentangle the spatial non-stationary relationship between vegetation NPP and related factors and identify the impact scale difference in the YRB. Additionally, we analyze the spatiotemporal variation trend and persistence of NPP during 2000–2020. The results revealed the following: (1) The annual NPP showed a fluctuating increasing trend, and the vegetation NPP in most regions will exhibit a future trend of increasing to decreasing. (2) The effects of different factors show significant spatial non-stationarity. Among them, the intensity of the impact of most natural factors shows a clear strip-shaped distribution in the east-west direction. It is closely related to the spatial distribution characteristics of natural factors in the YRB. In contrast, the regularity of anthropogenic influences is less obvious. (3) The impact scales of different factors on vegetation NPP were significantly different, and this scale changed with time. The factors with small impact scales could better explain the change in vegetation NPP. Interestingly, the impact size and scale of relative humidity on NPP in the YRB are both larger. This may be due to the arid and semi-arid characteristics of the YRB. Our findings could provide policy makers with specific and quantitative insights for protecting the ecological environment in the YRB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yellow River Basin plays a crucial role as both an ecological barrier and an economic development area in China. However, achieving synergistic development between the environment and industry in the coastal provinces remains challenging. Conducting in-depth studies on the synergy between these two aspects can provide valuable guidance for the development of each province. This paper employs the Topsis method to assess the development level of the industrial and environmental systems in the Yellow River Basin. Additionally, it utilizes the Harken model to analyze the synergy between the environment and industry in the coastal provinces of the Yellow River Basin from 2011 to 2021. Furthermore, the overall distribution of the level of synergistic development between the industry and environment in the Yellow River Basin is analyzed using kernel density estimation. The empirical findings reveal the following: 1. The development level of both environmental and industrial systems in each province of the Yellow River Basin has exhibited a consistent increase over the study period. 2. The average synergy between environment and industry in the Yellow River Basin has shown a declining trend from 2011 to 2021. In 2021, the synergy level follows the pattern of "upstream

The high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin is still facing the issue of imbalance and inadequacy, and it urgently requires the backing and assistance of a well-coordinated and efficient comprehensive transportation network system. Based on this purpose, this study uses a composite system synergy degree model incorporating "mode dimension + regional dimension" to analyze the evolution of this network. The results indicate the following: (1) Railway and air transportation surpass highway transportation in growth and synergy, though overall system synergy is still low. (2) Downstream areas are gradually taking the lead, and the orderliness of each subsystem is gradually becoming consistent. The complexity and variability of the composite system's synergy are high, with an overall low level of synergy. Overall, despite improvements in service capacity and quality, better integration of different transport modes and enhanced cross-regional cooperation are needed. This study reveals and analyzes in depth the complexity of the comprehensive transportation network system in the Yellow River Basin and its spatiotemporal characteristics of synergistic evolution. We propose suggestions for high-quality development at national, regional, and industry levels, fostering the continuous improvement of the system structure, which aids in overcoming the tangible obstacles faced by the high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate wetland classification in the Yellow River Basin (YRB) is crucial for China's ecological security, sustainable development, and wetland resource management. This calls for more sustained research on regional variations and studies on remote sensing features, especially with temporal considerations. To address this and the optimization of feature extraction as well as ranking, Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 images were used. Additionally, to achieve more precise wetland classification, the YRB was subdivided into four regions for random forest classification. The results show that different remote sensing indices effectively distinguish various wetland types and that key percentiles play a significant role in distinguishing wetland types. The 10 m refined wetland classification map for 2020, with an overall accuracy of 85%, demonstrates that this framework can meet the needs of conventional large-scale wetland analysis and management. The total area of wetlands in the YRB in 2020 was 33,554.67 km2, mainly distributed in the upper reaches of the YRB (71%), with seasonal marshes being predominant. The total water area reached 8538.64 km2, primarily distributed in the upper reaches of the YRB (57.40%). This high-resolution wetland map offers crucial insights and tools for monitoring, protecting wetland resources, and shaping policies, advancing regional sustainable development goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yellow River basin, an area of extreme water scarcity, has faced significant challenges in water quality management due to rapid economic and social development since the 1980s. This study analyzes the water quality evolution over nearly 40 years, focusing on primary pollutants like chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), and permanganate index (CODMn). In the 1990s, sections of the river were severely polluted, with some areas failing to meet the lowest national standards. In 2000, 32% of the river water was classified as inferior Class V. However, enhanced water resource management and stricter pollutant regulations introduced after 2000 have significantly improved water quality. By 2010, water quality reached its nadir, with 16% of water classified as inferior Class V and 25% as Class IV–V. By 2020, water quality showed marked improvement, with a significant reduction in segments classified as inferior Class V and Class IV–V. Recent years have seen water quality stabilize, with COD meeting Class I standards and NH3-N and CODMn meeting Class II standards based on national criteria. The study also highlights discrepancies in water quality between the mainstream and tributaries of the Yellow River. While the mainstream generally maintains good water quality, many tributaries remain severely polluted. In 2022, 85% of the water in tributaries was classified as Class I to III, 12.3% as Class IV to V, and only 2.7% as Class V. However, all water in the mainstream reached Class I–III, with 86% achieving Class II and 14% achieving Class I. A detailed analysis of the Huayuankou section over the past three decades shows a general decline in pollution indicators. Seasonal water quality fluctuations, correlated with flow rates and temperatures, were observed, often exhibiting normal distribution patterns. These findings underscore the effectiveness of sustained pollution control and the need for continuous, adaptive management strategies to improve and maintain water quality in the Yellow River basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yellow River holds significant developmental and historical importance for China. Over the past decade, there has been a growing recognition of the river basin's complexity as a hydrological, ecological, economic, political, and social system. Therefore, analyzing its research hotspots and trends helps to anticipate future research directions. This study utilized bibliometric software (such as VOSviewer and CiteSpace) to analyze the articles and research trends related to the ecological environment of the Yellow River Basin over the past 11 years (2014–2024). The results indicate that a total of 2096 articles have been published on this topic, with an almost annual increase in publications. Keyword co-occurrence and clustering network analysis indicate that the middle and lower reaches of the Loess Plateau, the delta, and the water quality and flow changes in the Yellow River Basin have been long-term research focuses. Climate change plays a dominant role in Yellow River runoff variation. In recent years, water quality has steadily improved, although delta erosion issues remain unresolved. Research on the sustainable development and ecosystem services of the Yellow River Basin has become a recent trend. With continuous policy development, refinement, and advancements in research, significant progress has been made in enhancing ecosystem services and achieving sustainable development in the Yellow River Basin. Regarding international collaboration, China, the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Germany rank among the top five, with the most intensive collaborations occurring between China and the US, the UK, and Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studying spatial and temporal characteristics of land use changes and the driving factors in the Yellow River Basin as well as simulating and predicting future land use is crucial for resource management, ecological protection, and regional sustainable development in the Yellow River Basin. Based on the China Land Cover Dataset (CLCD) of the Yellow River Basin from 1990 to 2021, this study employs various methods such as the Mann–Kendall test and sliding t-test, land use dynamics, the land use transfer matrix, the standard deviation ellipse, the center of gravity migration model, and a geographic detector to explore the spatial and temporal characteristics of land use changes and driving forces in the Yellow River Basin over the past 30 years. Additionally, the study predicts land use types in the study area for the year of 2030 by using the Future Land Use Simulation (FLUS) model. The results show the following: (1) From 1990 to 2021, the area of forest, grassland, water, and impervious surfaces increased significantly, while the area of cropland, shrub, barren land, and wetlands decreased significantly. The most actively changing land use types are cropland, grassland, barren land, and impervious surfaces. (2) The center of gravity for shrub and impervious surfaces shifted westward, while wetlands showed a trend of obvious concentrated distribution, and the remaining land use types exhibited stable directional distributions. (3) Economic factors had a stronger driving effect on land use changes than topographic and climatic factors. The land use changes in the Yellow River Basin are influenced by the coordinated driving forces of multiple factors. (4) In 2030, the main land use types in the Yellow River Basin are still expected to be cropland, grassland, and forest. However, there will be a significant expansion of impervious surfaces and forest land, with substantial encroachment on cropland and grassland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent climate change has accelerated the global hydrological cycle, substantially affecting drought metrics such as drought duration and drought propagation; however, knowledge of drought patterns in these metrics remains limited. Here, we aimed to address the evolution and influencing factors of major drought metrics under past and future climate scenarios within the Yellow River Basin (YRB) based on Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6). Accordingly, we investigated the changes in drought duration for meteorological drought and agricultural drought across the YRB and identified the variability in drought propagation time from meteorological drought to agricultural drought by using a standardized precipitation/soil moisture index and run theory. Meteorological and agricultural drought duration, and propagation time, increased from 1850 to 2014, decreased significantly from 2015 to 2100 with change trends of −0.0027, −0.0197, and −0.002 month/year, respectively. Drought duration had a negative sensitivity to humidification, and agricultural drought was more sensitive than meteorological drought. Propagation time exhibited a greater sensitivity to meteorological humidification than agricultural humidification. The results also suggest that precipitation, evapotranspiration, and soil moisture are the main drivers of drought metric changes, with air temperature and crop cover exhibiting a strong indirect effect on drought metrics in the YRB. Decreased propagation time from meteorological to agricultural drought and decreased duration provide evidence for the accelerated occurrence and increased impact of drought, highlighting the importance of a more comprehensive understanding of drought metric changes under rapid climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Water conservation (WC) is a critical ecological service function in the Yellow River Basin (YRB). There is currently a lack of detailed exploration of WC development processes and the impact mechanisms of driving factors at spatiotemporal scales in the YRB. By collecting data on DEM, land use, soil, meteorology, reservoirs, and observed discharge, this study established a large-scale WC model using the soil and water assessment tool (SWAT). The abrupt change test, empirical orthogonal function (EOF), wavelet analysis, hierarchical partitioning analysis (HPA), geodetectors, and aridity index were employed to analyze the multi-spatiotemporal characteristics and driving forces of WC calculated using the water balance method. The results are as follows: (1) The average WC among the YRB was 9.11 mm (74.68 × 108 m3) from 1960 to 2020. Pasture and forests contributed to 48.65% and 22.05% of the average annual WC, respectively. (2) WC exhibited four forms: less/more in the YRB, more in the southeast (northwest), and less in the northwest (southeast). (3) Forests and pastures in land use had higher average WC capacity, while Gansu, Shaanxi, and Qinghai ranked in the top three for average WC among the nine provinces. (4) Precipitation was the major driving force affecting WC variations, with the interaction between precipitation and actual evapotranspiration being the most significant. (5) Drought was a significant cause of negative WC. Protecting and managing crucial WC areas was essential for improving the ecological environment. This research elucidates the driving forces of WC in the YRB, providing scientific support for improving regional WC and promoting sustainable development.

Abstract Classifying emission reduction zones on different scales has important implications for the ecological protection and high‐quality development of the Yellow River Basin. Based on remote sensing data and a light‐carbon conversion model, carbon footprints at provincial, municipal, and county scales in the Yellow River Basin are measured. The spatiotemporal evolution critical paths of carbon footprints at the three spatial scales are compared and classified into different zones using spatiotemporal evolution analysis methods. The conclusions are as follows: (1) The carbon footprint increased over the years. The spatial distributions of carbon footprints at the three scales are not only consistent but also different. The study of carbon footprints at the county scale is more conducive to the summary of the spatiotemporal evolution and the formulation of detailed emission reduction schemes. (2) Four provinces, 48 cities, and 373 counties are designated as a “core protected zone”; three provinces, 29 cities, and 177 counties are designated as a “strictly governed zone”; one province, 12 cities, and 47 counties are designated as a “key restricted zone”; four cities and 39 counties are designated as an “alert diffusion zone.” (3) The agglomeration expansion trend and the spillover effect of high‐carbon footprint units at the county scale are more obvious. Further enhancement of the path‐locking characteristics of the carbon footprints of counties will make governance more difficult. Effective governance of carbon footprint at the county scale is of urgent concern. These results provide scientific evidence for multiscale carbon emission control and zoning policy formulation in the Yellow River Basin.

Abstract The digital economy has emerged as a new trend in economic development and has profoundly influenced the process of achieving common prosperity. However, current research on the correlation between the digital economy and common prosperity from the perspective of a river basin still needs to be strengthened. Based on this, the present study first theoretically elaborates the conceptual meanings of “digital economy” and “common prosperity”, as well as the mechanism by which the digital economy empowers common prosperity. Subsequently, a scientifically-constructed performance evaluation index system for the digital economy and common prosperity is established. Considering the Yellow River Basin as an empirical case study area, this study investigates the mechanism and spatial spillover effects of the digital economy in empowering common prosperity from 2005 to 2020. The research findings reveal that: (1) The Yellow River Basin exhibits a basin characteristic with downstream > midstream > upstream areas regarding the level of common prosperity and digital economy. It indicates that a distinct spatial correlation exists between the two factors. However, the ongoing decrease in both high-level and very high-level areas reflects the lengthy and challenging journey of enhancing the quality and efficiency of the digital economy in empowering common prosperity. (2) The digital economy not only directly impacts common prosperity, but also fosters its development through spatial spillover effects. Among the control factors, informatization and housing levels have a major stimulating effect. (3) There exists a clear regional heterogeneity in how the digital economy affects common prosperity in the Yellow River Basin. Specifically, common prosperity of downstream cities is significantly impacted by the digital economy. The spatial spillover effects of the digital economy on common prosperity exhibit a pronounced “neighborhood as a moat” characteristic. (4) The digital economy facilitates the achievement of shared prosperity through the implementation of mechanisms centered on sharing, affluence, and sustainability. These research findings illuminate the empowering mechanisms and spatial spillover pathways of the digital economy in promoting shared prosperity, aligning with national strategies for ecological conservation and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin.

Abstract Over the past decades, the drylands of the Yellow River Basin (YRBD) have undergone profound changes in landscape patterns and ecological dynamics, significantly impacting regional sustainable development. To assess the spatio-temporal variations of ecological risk in the YRBD and provide guidance for sustainable regional development, we constructed a coupled Land Use-Landscape Ecological Risk Model-Geographical Detector-PLUS framework for the assessment, analysis, and simulation of dryland landscape ecological risk (LER). The main findings are as follows: (1) Between 2000 and 2020, the area of built-up land, forest, grassland, and water in the YRBD increased, while the area of unused land and cropland decreased. (2) LER exhibited significant spatial heterogeneity, dominated by Sub-low and Low risks. High risk areas were primarily located in the western Inner Mongolia Plateau, whereas Low risk areas were prevalent in the Loess Plateau, with an overall decline in risk levels over the 20 years. (3) Water resources, ecological status, and human activities are the main driving factors affecting LER, with the impact of human activities becoming increasingly significant over the past 20 years. (4) Under three development scenarios in 2030, the LER is projected to further decrease, although the impact of these scenarios varies across different research sub-regions. Notably, the Ecological Priority Scenario emerges as more effective in mitigating regional LER. (5) Developing precise land use policies tailored to regional characteristics, continuously implementing ecological restoration projects, strengthening water resource management, and enhancing monitoring capabilities are effective ways to reduce LER in the YRBD. This study systematically quantified the impact of different development scenarios on LER in the YRBD, revealing its spatio-temporal characteristics, and emphasized the importance of planning guidance, ecological restoration, and risk monitoring to align regional development with ecological protection. The findings provide scientific evidence for ecological protection and sustainable development in the YRBD and other drylands, offering valuable insights for global dryland ecological risk management.

Abstract The intensification of human activities in the Yellow River Basin has significantly altered its ecosystems, challenging the sustainability of the region’s ecosystem assets. This study constructs an ecosystem asset index for the period from 2001 to 2020, integrating it with human footprint maps to analyze the temporal and spatial dynamics of ecosystem assets and human activities within the basin, as well as their interrelationships. Our findings reveal significant improvement of ecosystem assets, mainly attributed to the conversion of farmland back into natural habitats, resulting in a 15,994 km2 increase in ecological land use. Notably, 45.88% of the basin has experienced concurrent growth in both human activities and ecosystem assets, with ecosystem assets expanding at a faster rate (22.61%) than human activities (17.25%). Areas with high-quality ecosystem assets are expanding, in contrast to areas with intense human activities, which are facing increased fragmentation. Despite a global escalation in threats from human activities to ecosystem assets, the local threat level within the Yellow River Basin has slightly diminished, indicating a trend towards stabilization. Results highlight the critical importance of integrating spatial and quality considerations into restoration efforts to enhance the overall condition of ecosystem assets, especially under increasing human pressures. Our work assesses the impact of human activities on the dynamics of ecosystem assets in the Yellow River Basin from 2001 to 2020, offering valuable insights for quality development in the region, may provide a scientific basis for general watershed ecological protection and sustainable management in a region heavily influenced by human activity but on a path to recovery.

Abstract 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 Improving the green electricity efficiency (GEE), is an important issue for China's high-quality economic development. This study presents a spatial correlation network of urban GEE in the Yellow River Basin from 2012 to 2021, constructed using an improved gravity model. Social network analysis and the quadratic assignment procedure method are employed to analyze the spatial correlation characteristics and influencing factors. The findings indicate that urban GEE in the Yellow River Basin exhibits complex and stable network characteristics. The spatial network analysis reveals that Jiayuguan City, Dongying City, Dingxi City, Zibo City, and Shizuishan City occupy central positions within the network. The results indicate that spatial adjacency, GDP per capita, industrial structure, and the level of science and technology expenditure are positively related to urban GEE, while environmental regulation and average temperature are negatively related. The findings of the study have led to policy recommendations aimed at enhancing urban GEE in the Yellow River Basin.

Abstract 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.