How Does the Improvement of Ecological Compensation Efficiency Affect Urban Economic Resilience? Evidence from the Yangtze River Economic Belt in China

This study examines whether and through what channels ecological compensation efficiency affects urban economic resilience from a watershed-scale perspective. Using panel data for 108 prefecture-level cities in China’s Yangtze River Economic Belt from 2011 to 2023, ecological compensation efficiency is first measured with a super-efficiency SBM model incorporating undesirable outputs. A two-way fixed effects model, a mechanism-testing framework, robustness checks, and a spatial Durbin model are then employed to investigate its direct effect, transmission mechanisms, and spatial spillovers. The results show that (1) ecological compensation efficiency significantly enhances urban economic resilience, and this finding remains robust under alternative indicator measurements and model specifications; (2) mechanism analysis indicates that ecological compensation efficiency strengthens urban economic resilience by promoting green technological innovation and facilitating digital–real economy integration; and (3) spatial analysis further reveals significant positive spillover effects on neighboring cities. These findings suggest that improving ecological compensation efficiency can enhance both local and regional economic resilience. This study enriches the literature on ecological compensation and resilient urban development and provides policy implications for efficiency improvement, green and digital transformation, and cross-regional collaborative governance.