How Environmental Regulation Shapes Horizontal Ecological Compensation: Evidence from the Yellow River Basin

This study constructs a horizontal ecological compensation matrix and an input–output efficiency matrix for ecological compensation in the Yellow River Basin. By integrating spatial Moran’s I analysis, Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), and Social Network Analysis (SNA), the results show that command-and-control and voluntary regulations exert a substantially greater influence on compensation payments than market-based instruments. The spatial network evolved from a fragmented state in 2021 into an integrated basin-wide structure by 2023, with Inner Mongolia displaying the highest betweenness centrality and acting as a critical regional coordination hub. However, decreasing returns to scale in Henan, Qinghai, and Shandong suggest resource wastage, requiring more rational regulatory utilisation. The policy implications are that authorities should formally designate Inner Mongolia as a standing ‘Ecological Compensation Coordination Hub’. In regions with decreasing returns, a ‘non-site supervision’ model should be promoted to reduce inefficiency. Furthermore, indicators for sustainable agricultural practices should be introduced to ensure long-term collaborative protection across the basin.