Agricultural water use efficiency (AWUE) and urban ecological environmental resilience (UEER) are critical for regional sustainability, yet their interplay remains underexplored. This study investigates the water-agriculture-urban nexus in the Yellow River Basin (2011–2020) by quantifying the coupling coordination degree (CCD) between UEER and an environmentally-adjusted AWUE that accounts for agricultural methane emissions. Using a Geographically and Temporally Weighted Regression (GTWR) model, we uncover the spatio-temporal dynamics of their coordination. Results show a significant upward trend in CCD after 2015, yet spatial disparities persist, with downstream cities outperforming upstream regions. Our typology analysis identifies four city categories, providing a novel framework for targeted nexus-based governance. Economic development and fiscal expenditure consistently promote coordination, whereas population density exerts a negative influence. These findings offer empirically grounded guidance for developing integrated policies that simultaneously enhance water efficiency and urban resilience, advancing sustainable resource management.
Xu et al. (Thu,) studied this question.