Coupling analysis of resident well-being and ecosystem services under sustainable development goals: A case study of China’s coastal regions

• Built a spatially varied framework to assess resident well-being with multiple indicators. • Refined estimation of ecosystem service value and its spatial–temporal trends. • Revealed regional coordination phases of resident well-being and ecosystem services. • Proposed sustainable pathways using a four-quadrant diagram approach. Rapid economic development and social transformation have exacerbated the conflicts between ecological systems and human needs, making the scientific coordination of ecosystem services (ES) and resident well-being (RWB) critical for sustainable development. The study took 11 coastal regions in China (excluding Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan) as case studies, integrated the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA), Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and Human Needs Theory (HNT), and introduced geospatial data to construct a multilevel RWB indicator system. The Equivalent Factor Method was improved to evaluate ecosystem service value (ESV), and the interactions between ES and RWB were examined by applying a Coupling Coordination Degree Model (CCD). Finally, tailored urban planning strategies were proposed for each coastal province based on a four-quadrant framework. The results revealed that: ① From 2000 to 2022, RWB values exhibited an upward trend overall, with Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Tianjin performing at higher levels. Economically developed regions showed higher basic needs and health levels but relatively poorer environmental quality. Most provinces experienced a decline in education satisfaction, whereas Shandong and Guangdong performed better in social relationships. ② Forest and farmland dominated the land use in coastal regions. Temporally, ESV declined initially before increasing, with regulating services remaining dominant. Spatially, ESV exhibited a “south-high, north-low” pattern. ③Most coupling coordination degrees were antagonistic, with imbalances in Tianjin, Shanghai, and Hainan, and ES lagging behind RWB. Based on the results of systematic evaluation, the development status of coastal regions was categorized into orderly development (I), ES lagging (II), RWB lagging (III), and development lagging (IV). The study systematically investigates the interaction between RWB and ES, offering a practical example for regional sustainable development planning and providing a scientific foundation for achieving the sustainable development goal of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature in China’s coastal regions.