Cross-Scale Coupling of Water-Sediment Resources and Socioeconomic System Interactions in the Yellow River Basin in China

Abstract

Under the influence of long-term natural evolution and human activities, the water-sediment situation of the Yellow River has undergone profound changes. Many studies have revealed that water-sediment resources influence the spatial and temporal dynamics of socioeconomic development. There is a notable gap in research regarding the bidirectional coupling of water-sediment resources and economic growth, particularly concerning temporal and spatial variations and cross-scale impacts. Eight urban agglomerations in the Yellow River Basin were selected as research subjects to advance this study area. This research employs the decoupling model, the Haken model, and the coupling coordination model to analyze the interactions between water-sediment resources and socioeconomic systems of the Yellow River Basin and spatial dynamics at the basin, urban agglomerations, and grid scales during the period from 2001 to 2020. The results indicate expansion-negative decoupling relationships within the urban agglomerations across different historical periods. The socioeconomic subsystems predominantly influence the synergy between the water-sediment resources and the economic composite system, with the current level of synergy being relatively low. Furthermore, the dependence on the driving effects of water-sediment and economic intensity within the city clusters at the grid scale is increasingly high. This study is a first attempt to apply the Haken model in the field of water-sediment and economy from the perspective of synergetics. The exploration of the evolutional nexus between water-sediment subsystem and socioeconomic subsystem in the Yellow River Basin is expected to provide important references for policy formulation both locally and for other regions.

Xianyuan Bao

A researcher specializing in Coupled Human-Water Systems and sustainable water management.