The Coupling Coordination and Spatio-temporal Evolution of Water-energy-food in the Yellow River Basin

The Yellow River basin (YRB) is an important base of water resources, energy and food in China. The shortage of water, energy and food affects regional development, so it is necessary to consider the intrinsic correlation of water, energy and food. This paper constructed a water-energy-food (WEF) evaluation index system, adopted comprehensive evaluation and coupling coordination model to analyze the coupling coordination of WEF system in the YRB from 2002 to 2021, and utilized spatio-temporal evolution model to study the spatio-temporal evolution. The results of the YRB from 2002 to 2021 showed that: (1) The comprehensive evaluation indexes of water resources, energy and food showed an upward trend as a whole. The comprehensive evaluation index of food rose the most obviously, followed by energy and water resources. (2) The nine provinces and regions and the whole of WEF were at a high level coupling degree, and the change of spatial evolution was very little. (3) The coupling coordination degree of WEF had improved significantly. It was very close to the intermediate stage of coordinated development, showing an obvious state of “high in the east and low in the west”, and there were no autocorrelation.