Multi-dimensional spatial and temporal dynamics of environmental stress and driving factors in the Baiyangdian Basin, China

A precise evaluation of environmental stress within a basin is essential for ensuring regional ecological security and fostering sustainable development. This study uses remote sensing and socioeconomic data from 2002, 2012 and 2022 to establish a four-dimensional assessment framework covering land use, hydrology, air quality, and socioeconomic factors, using the entropy weight method to determine the weight of indicators, environmental stress values were calculated at the county level, and multiple linear regression was used to identify key driving forces. This study demonstrates that environmental stress exhibits significant spatiotemporal variability across land use, hydrological, atmospheric, and socioeconomic dimensions, with the basin-wide environmental stress index rising from 0.289 in 2002 to 0.449 in 2022 and revealing a clear spatial gradient with higher stress values in the central area and lower values in the northern region. Regression analysis highlights that watershed conservation and industrial upgrading play a central role in mitigating environmental stress. Furthermore, the Baiyangdian Basin is delineated into four ecological functional zones, providing a scientific basis for refined basin-scale ecological management and sustainable development. These findings highlight the necessity of implementing differentiated ecological management measures that address both the driving factors and their spatial variability, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of environmental control in the Baiyangdian Basin.