New green development indicator of water resources system based on an improved water resources ecological footprint and its application

The assessment of green development of water resources system is critical for the formulation of high-quality development policies of regional economy and society. Despite the water resources ecological footprint (WEF) model has been proved to be an effective measure in evaluating the sustainable utilization of water resources, there is still lacking a well-established method to weigh the green development of water resources system concerning the economic and social development. In this study, the parameters of the traditional WEF model were calibrated and optimized, and an extended WEF model, which suit for different regions, was constructed; Further, based on WEF, the water resources ecological benefit ratio (WEBR) was proposed, which depict the relationship between the sustainability of water resources and social economy. The integrated framework coupling the above methods had been verified in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region of China. The results demonstrated that: (1) From 2010 to 2020, the WEF in BTH region all exceeded the water resources ecological carrying capacity (WEC), showing varying degrees of overload in water resources utilization. Water resources ecological pressure index (WEPI) is relatively high, and there is no significant improvement. (2) The slope of BTH's WEBR is weakening, and shows spatial heterogeneity. (3) The coordinated development of WEPI and WEBR is stable, and most cities are within the L-L cluster. This study can provide support for decision-makers and promote the green and high-quality development of region water resources system and economic society.