Analysis of Ecological Environment Quality and Its Driving Factors in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region of China

This study aims to explore the evolution of the pattern of ecological environment quality and its driving factors in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region, providing a basis for developing regional ecological protection policies. Based on remote sensing image data, the study developed a remote-sensing eco-environmental index (REI) from two dimensions, namely ecological quality and environmental quality, and evaluated the spatiotemporal changes of the eco-environment quality in the BTH region from 2000 to 2020. The main factors affecting the eco-environment quality and the changing trend of the eco-environment quality were subsequently analyzed using the geographic detector model and the GM1.1 model. The results show that the eco-environmental quality of the BTH region shows a fluctuating downward trend and distinct regional differences during the study period. The Yanshan Mountain in the north and the Taihang Mountain in the west have high ecological quality, while the Zhangjiakou area in the northwestern part of Hebei Province and the urban center in the southeastern part of Hebei Province suffer low ecological quality. Natural factors played a dominant role in influencing eco-environmental factors, but the proportion of economic and social factors increased over time. It is predicted that the number of counties in the region with poor eco-environmental factors will increase significantly. Therefore, the comprehensive assessment of regional ecological quality can be effectively achieved based on REI, thus providing a reference for the green and high-quality development of the regional social economy.