Eco-Economic Coordination Analysis of the Yellow River Basin in China: Insights from Major Function-Oriented Zoning

The ecological-economic coordination degree model is widely used to analyze eco-economic coordination relationships, but methods for determining the relative weights of the ecological and economic systems lack a scientific basis. Examining the Yellow River Basin based on Major Function-Oriented Zoning (MFOZ) in China, the study surveyed 42 experts and used the analytic hierarchy process (AHP)to calculate the ecological and economic weights of the different main function zones. It also improved the model and evaluated the coordination degree of the ecological economic system in 642counties of eight provinces in the Yellow River Basin from 1991 to 2015. The results indicate that (1) the ecological value of the basin increased from 823 billion Yuan in 2001 to 1142 billion Yuan in 2015; (2) the GDP shows a linear growth trend: high- and medium-high-value areas of per capita GDP are clustered around nine metropolitan areas, while cold spots are distributed in ecological protection and agricultural development zones; (3) the ecological and economic coordination of the river basin first rose and then declined; and (4) the coordinated development areas are concentrated in five urban agglomerations that are highly consistent with the per capita GDP hotspots.

Automated summary

The study analyzed the ecological-economic coordination in the Yellow River Basin and found that the ecological value of the basin increased, GDP showed a linear growth trend, and the coordination of the basin first rose and then declined. Coordinated development areas were concentrated in urban agglomerations highly consistent with per capita GDP hotspots.