{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,9]],"date-time":"2026-07-09T14:42:36Z","timestamp":1783608156841,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":44,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,10]],"date-time":"2025-04-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1744243200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Dongying Science Development","award":["DJB2023014"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["DJB2023014"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Systems"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Understanding the coupling mechanisms and coordinated development dynamics of the water\u2013energy\u2013food (WEF) system is crucial for sustainable river basin development. This study focuses on the Yellow River Basin, conducting a comprehensive analysis of the system\u2019s coupling mechanisms and influencing factors. A structured evaluation framework is established, integrating the entropy weight\u2013TOPSIS method, the coupling coordination degree model, and spatial correlation analysis. Empirical analysis is conducted using data from nine provinces (regions) along the Yellow River from 2003 to 2022 to assess the spatiotemporal evolution of the coupling coordination level. The Tobit regression model is employed to quantify the impact of various factors on the system\u2019s coupling coordination degree. Results indicate that the comprehensive evaluation index of the WEF system in the Yellow River Basin exhibits an overall upward trend, with the system coupling degree remaining at a high level for an extended period, up from 0.231 to 0.375. The interdependence among the three major systems is strong (0.881\u20130.939), and while the coupling coordination degree has increased over time despite fluctuations, a qualitative leap has not yet been achieved. The evaluation index follows a spatial distribution pattern of midstream &gt; downstream &gt; upstream, characterized by a predominantly high coupling degree. However, the coordination degree frequently remains at a forced coordination level or below, with a general trend of midstream &gt; downstream &gt; upstream. From 2003 to 2008, a positive spatial autocorrelation was observed in the coupling and coordinated development of the WEF system across provinces, indicating a strong spatial agglomeration effect. By 2022, most provinces were clustered in \u201chigh-high\u201d and \u201clow-low\u201d areas, reflecting a positive spatial correlation with minimal regional differences. Key factors positively influencing coordination include economic development levels, industrial structure upgrading, urbanization, and transportation networks, while technological innovation negatively affects the system\u2019s coordination. Based on these findings, it is recommended to strengthen balanced economic development, optimize the layout of industrial structures, improve the inter-regional resource circulation mechanism, and promote the deep integration of technological innovation and production practices to address the bottlenecks hindering the coordinated development of the water\u2013energy\u2013food system. Policy recommendations are proposed to provide strategic references for the sustainable socioeconomic development of the Yellow River Basin, thereby achieving the high-quality coordinated growth of the water\u2013energy\u2013food system in the region.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/systems13040278","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,10]],"date-time":"2025-04-10T07:41:51Z","timestamp":1744270911000},"page":"278","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":8,"title":["Coupling Coordination Evaluation and Optimization of Water\u2013Energy\u2013Food System in the Yellow River Basin for Sustainable Development"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Pengcheng","family":"Zhang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Economics, Management, and Law, Shandong Institute of Petroleum and Chemical Technology, Dongying 257061, China"},{"name":"School of Economics and Management, China University of Petroleum (East China), Dongying 257099, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yaoyao","family":"Fu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Economics, Management, and Law, Shandong Institute of Petroleum and Chemical Technology, Dongying 257061, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Boliang","family":"Lu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Economics, Management, and Law, Shandong Institute of Petroleum and Chemical Technology, Dongying 257061, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hongbo","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Economics, Management, and Law, Shandong Institute of Petroleum and Chemical Technology, Dongying 257061, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yijie","family":"Qu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Economics, Management, and Law, Shandong Institute of Petroleum and Chemical Technology, Dongying 257061, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0134-1486","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Haslindar","family":"Ibrahim","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Management, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 118000 Gelugor, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jiaxuan","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"International Business College of Sdtbu, Shandong Technology and Business University, Yantai 265600, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hao","family":"Ding","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Economics and Management, China University of Petroleum (East China), Dongying 257099, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0008-9517-2775","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Shenglin","family":"Ma","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Economics and Management, North University of China, Taiyuan 030051, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,10]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"105964","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scs.2024.105964","article-title":"Supply-demand security assessment of water-energy-food systems: A perspective on intra-city coupling and inter-city linkages of ecosystem services","volume":"117","author":"Yang","year":"2024","journal-title":"Sustain. 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