Modelling the Spatiotemporal Coordination Between Ecosystem Services and Socioeconomic Development to Enhance Their Synergistic Development Based on Water Resource Zoning in the Yellow River Basin, China

Lingang Hao, Enhui Jiang (), Bo Qu (), Chang Liu, Ying Liu and Jiaqi Li
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Lingang Hao: Yellow River Institute of Hydraulic Research, Zhengzhou 450003, China
Enhui Jiang: Yellow River Institute of Hydraulic Research, Zhengzhou 450003, China
Bo Qu: Yellow River Institute of Hydraulic Research, Zhengzhou 450003, China
Chang Liu: Yellow River Institute of Hydraulic Research, Zhengzhou 450003, China
Ying Liu: College of Management and Economics, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
Jiaqi Li: School of Water Conservancy and Transportation, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450003, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 14, 1-20

Abstract: The synergistic development of ecosystems and socioeconomic systems constitutes a critical foundation for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Large river basins characterized by ecological and socioeconomic spatial heterogeneity frequently present contradictions and conflicts in regional sustainable development, thereby impeding the realization of SDGs. This study employed the Yellow River Basin (YRB), a typical large sediment-laden river system, as a case study. Based on the secondary water resource zones, the spatial variability and temporal evolution of ecosystem service value (ESV), population (POP), GDP, nighttime light (NTL), and Human Development Index (HDI) were analyzed at the water resource partition scale. A consistent mode was applied to quantify the spatiotemporal consistency between ESV and socioeconomic indicators across water resource partitions. The results indicated that from 1980 to 2020, the ESV of the YRB increased from 1079.83 × 10 9 to 1139.20 × 10 9 yuan, with no notable spatial pattern variation. From upstream to downstream, the population density, GDP per unit area, and NTL per unit area displayed increasing trends along the river course, whereas the total population, GDP, and NTL initially increased and then declined. Temporally, the population fluctuated with an overall upward tendency, while GDP and NTL experienced significant growth. The spatial distribution and temporal evolution of HDI remained comparatively stable. The coefficients of variation for population, GDP, and NTL were significantly higher than those for ecosystem services and HDI. The study highlighted an overall lack of coordination between ESV and socioeconomic development in the YRB, with relatively stable spatial patterns. These findings could offer a theoretical reference for the formulation of policies to enhance the synergistic development of ecosystems and socioeconomic systems in the YRB.

Keywords: ecosystem service; socioeconomic development; spatiotemporal coordination; secondary divisions of water resources; Yellow River Basin (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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