Introduction Ecological resilience, which is the core capacity of ecosystems to withstand disturbances, maintain functions, and undergo adaptive transformation, is critical to ecological conservation and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin. Methods This study examines 60 prefecture-level cities in the Yellow River Basin using 2006–2023 panel data. Adopting an evolutionary resilience perspective, we develop a three-dimensional ecological resilience framework—resistance, adaptation, and innovation—and combine boxplot analysis, GIS-based spatial analysis, and the Spatial Durbin Model (SDM) to reveal spatiotemporal patterns of ecological resilience and quantify local and spillover effects of natural and socio-economic drivers. Results (1) Ecological resilience in the Yellow River Basin followed a fluctuating upward trend between 2006 and 2023, with widening regional disparities and a distinct spatial pattern: high in the lower reaches, low in the middle, and volatile in the upper reaches. (2) SDM results reveal a U-shaped direct effect of economic development (PGDP) on ecological resilience; industrial structure (IS), government intervention (GOV), and population density (POP) significantly reduced local eco-logical resilience, while residents’ living standards (DPI) enhanced it. (3) Spatial spillovers highlight interregional complexity: PGDP’s indirect effect is also U-shaped; urbanization (UR), POP, and DPI positively influence neighboring areas. Conclusion The study concludes with policy recommendations to implement differentiated basin-wide collaborative governance strategies, promote green industrial transformation, and leverage the positive spatial spillover effects of urbanization and improvements in residents’ living standards.
Lu et al. (2026) studied this question.