Spatio-Temporal Variation of Hydrological Connectivity and Natural–Human Coupling Driving Forces Analysis in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region

Hydrological connectivity is crucial for maintaining the stability and function of regional ecology and is a fundamental link to solving regional water and ecological environmental problems. This study developed an integrated visualization analysis method of hydrological connectivity by synthesizing the structural and functional connectivity indices to analyze the spatio-temporal evolutionary characteristics of hydrological connectivity in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region from 2000 to 2023 and revealed the driving factors by the geographic detector method. The results showed that the river structure intensified, and connectivity increased annually throughout the study term (up to 43% of the maximum increase). Moreover, the post-2010 change rate increased to five times more than the previous. In terms of spatial distribution, the data showed a trend of “high concentration in the southeast and lower values in the northwest,” with a band of high connectivity stretching from east to west in a gradient pattern. Human activities were the primary driver of changes in the river system, such as hydraulic engineering and ecological water supplementation. The results provide a scientific basis and decision-making support for the rational allocation and intensive utilization of regional water resources.