The feedback mechanism between water culture and water security in the Yellow River Basin

• Quantitative expression of the evolution of water culture. • A framework for the co-evolution of water culture and water security is constructed. • Explained the mutual feedback mechanism of water culture and water security. In the context of escalating global water resource challenges, examining the response of water cultural changes to water security and their governance becomes imperative for sustainable water management. Water culture can be seen as a reflection of how human values orient towards the utilization and safeguarding of water resources. However, in the current governance of water security, greater attention needs to be paid to water culture. By analyzing how the three subsystems of water security (i.e., water disaster, water resources, and water ecology) and external factors influence the evolution and behavioral response of water culture, this study explores the mutual feedback relationship between water culture and water security in the Yellow River Basin. It also establishes a conceptual coupling model of water culture and water security, and reveals the process through which water culture transforms from meeting water resource exploitation needs to prioritizing ecological protection. This research promotes the adjustment and optimization of the governance mechanisms for water security. By gaining a deeper understanding of the far-reaching impacts of evolving water culture on water security, policymakers can develop more adaptive and resilient policies to effectively address increasingly complex water security challenges.