Study on the Spatial and Temporal Distribution of the High-Quality Development of Urbanization and Water Resource Coupling in the Yellow River Basin

China is facing a critical period of high-speed development and a transition to high-quality development. The purpose of this study is to investigate the spatial and temporal distribution of the coupling and coordination of high-quality development of urbanization and water resources in the Yellow River Basin (YRB). Firstly, we propose the concept of "High-Quality Development of Urbanization-Water Resources Coupling" and construct a high-quality development of urbanization (HQDU) system consisting of five sub-systems: innovation, coordination, greenness, openness and sharing, and a water resources system (WRS) consisting of four sub-systems: water resources background conditions, utilization capacity, management level, and pollution control. The improved coupling coordination degree model combined with the barrier degree model and clustering model is used to study the spatial and temporal distribution of the two systems in the YRB. The results show that the coupling coordination state of HQDU and WRS in the YRB improves to some extent, from "mild imbalance" to "barely coordination" in general; Henan and Ningxia are characterized by "low and fluctuating (levels) in early years and fast development in recent years"; Shanxi and Inner Mongolia develop steadily during the study period; Sichuan, Shandong, Shaanxi, and Qinghai are characterized by "low (levels) which lasted for a long time in the early stage and accelerated development in the later stage"; and Gansu Province is characterized by "high level in the early stage but insufficient momentum in later stage". The Coordination Index of Urbanization Economic Growth Speed and the Total Wastewater Discharge are the most important obstacle factors in HQDU and WRS. This study explores the level of coordination development of HQDU and WRS as well as finds the obstacle factors in the development process of the two systems, which is an important reference value for the high-quality development of urbanization under the constraint of water resources.