The development of new quality productivity is the key to promoting the high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin. In order to explore the improvement path of the new quality productivity of the manufacturing industry in the Yellow River Basin, based on the TOE theoretical framework, this paper took 359 listed manufacturing enterprises in the Yellow River Basin in 2022 as research samples and built the driving model of the new quality productivity from the three levels of technology, organization, and environment. Two methods, NCA and fsQCA, were used to study and analyze the influencing factors and configuration paths of new quality productivity. The results show that, first, the improvement of new quality productivity is affected by the coordination and matching effects of technology, organization, and environment, and no single factor can constitute new quality productivity. Second, there are three configurations for the improvement path of new quality productivity, namely, the technology-driven type composed of technological innovation, digital-intelligence transformation, and government subsidies; the single-factor comprehensive synergy type composed of technological innovation, equity restriction, and government subsidies; and the multi-factor comprehensive synergy type composed of digital-intelligence transformation, equity restriction, supply chain relationships, and government subsidies. Third, technological innovation and government subsidies play a key role in the path of new quality productivity improvement; digital-intelligence transformation and equity restriction have substitution effects, which can improve new quality productivity in the same way.

Promoting the high-quality development of rural industries is a key task for Ningxia to achieve Chinese modernization transformation. In order to provide references for Ningxia to promote the high-quality development of rural industries, the paper built an evaluation index system based on the new development concept from five dimensions of innovation, coordination, green, openness, and sharing. The AHP-entropy TOPSIS method was used to measure the level of high-quality development of Ningxia rural industries from 2013 to 2022, the coupling coordination degree model was used to measure the coupling coordination level of five dimensions of high-quality development, and the obstacle degree model was used to diagnose the constraining factors affecting the high-quality development of rural industries. The results show that a) the high-quality development level of Ningxia rural industries show a fluctuating upward trend from 2013 to 2022, but the overall level remains relatively low at the end of the research period. b) The coupling coordination degree of each dimension has steadily improved, rising from near imbalance in 2013 to primary coordination in 2022. c) The main factors hindering the high-quality development of Ningxia rural industries are the degree of agricultural mechanization and patent authorization in the dimension of innovative development, as well as the dependence on agricultural product import and export in the dimension of open development. Policy suggestions are proposed, such as optimize the rural industrial structure, strengthen technological innovation and enhance opening up to the outside world.

In order to offer policy references for promoting the green total factor productivity (GTFP) in the Yellow River Basin driven by digital finance, this study utilized the panel data of 72 prefecture-level cities in the Yellow River Basin from 2011 to 2022. Utilizing a comprehensive analytical framework that integrated individual and time fixed-effects models, threshold regression models and spatial effects models, the research investigated the impact effects of digital finance on GTFP in the Yellow River Basin and elucidated its underlying mechanisms. The results indicate that a) digital finance significantly promotes the enhancement of GTFP in the Yellow River Basin, with the green effect from the digitalization level of digital finance being the most substantial. b) Both a proactive government and a effective market exhibit dual threshold effects in the process of digital finance influencing green total factor productivity in the Yellow River Basin. The positive effect of digital finance on the green total factor productivity of the Yellow River Basin increases nonlinearly with the improvement of government governance and marketization levels. c) The positive effect of digital finance on GTFP in the Yellow River Basin demonstrates regional heterogeneity and resources dependency heterogeneity, specifically manifests as a greater positive effect in midstream and downstream cities compared to upstream cities, and a larger positive effect in non-resources-based cities than in resource-based cities. d) The development of digital finance not only elevates the GTFP of the local city but also radiates to enhance that of neighboring cities. The study proposes the following policy recommendations: Persistently advance market-oriented reforms in both breadth and depth to elevate marketization levels. Support green development in the Yellow River Basin through improvements in new infrastructure and structural tax and fee reductions. Optimize measures for digital finance development according to local conditions. Strengthen regional cooperation among cities within the basin, leveraging the “Belt and Road” Initiative as a linkage.

Assessing the changes in water and sediment dynamics in the Yellow River, particularly the trend of sediment load, is crucial for formulating strategies for Yellow River management. This study selected 13 typical tributaries in the He-Long reach and the Jinghe, Weihe, and Luohe Rivers, which had experienced relatively high rainfall in recent years but exhibited varying degrees of sediment reduction. The potential sediment yield under extreme rainfall conditions in these basins was analyzed, and the sediment load at Tongguan Station was estimated. Based on hydrological frequency analysis and historical extreme rainfall combinations, extreme rainfall scenarios were designed. The results show that under current underlying surface conditions, the maximum annual sediment yield from typical basins in the He-Long reach during extreme rainfall events accounts for up to 35% of the historically measured maximum annual sediment yield. Using this 35% ratio, the estimated sediment yield from the He-Long reach under extreme rainfall and current underlying surface conditions is 767 million tons. Under the same conditions, the sediment yields at the Xianyang Station on the Weihe River and the Zhuangtou Station on the Beiluo River are 89 million tons and 110 million tons, respectively. The potential maximum sediment yield from the upper reaches of the Jinghe River at the Zhangjiashan Station is 449 million tons. Considering the maximum sediment transport of 177 million tons recorded at the Toudaoguai Station since 2012, the potential maximum sediment load at the Tongguan Station under extreme rainfall and current underlying surface conditions is estimated to be 1.592 billion tons, which is 41% of the historical maximum of 3.91 billion tons.

The source region of the Yellow River (SRYR) is an important water conservation and runoff production area in the Yellow River Basin. In the context of climate change, evaluating the water source conservation and runoff evolution trends in the SRYR is of great practical significance for basin management. This research collected DEM, land use, soil, meteorological, and measured runoff data from the SRYR, and built a high-precision ecological hydrological model (soil and water assessment tool, SWAT) and statistical downscaling model (SDSM) to calculate and analyze the temporal, spatial, and ecosystem scale changes in water conservation capacity and the evolution trend of runoff in the SRYR. The results show that the average water conservation capacity of the SRYR from 1970 to 2024 is 126.4 mm, with a distribution pattern of less in the east and more in the west, and less in the south and north, with significant spatial differences. The contribution rate of grassland to the water conservation of the SRYR is the highest, at 78.2%. The rainfall runoff method shows that the precipitation in the SRYR has increased and decreased by 15%, and the runoff has increased and decreased by 26.82% and 21.15% compared to the baseline level. The simulation results of the ecological hydrological model show that comparing to the current year (2010-2023), the recent (2025-2050) and long-term (2051-2100) changes in runoff in the source area are -2.22% to 6.51% and -0.23% to 10.23% respectively. 

Based on the recent boundary conditions of the Xiaolangdi Reservoir area, the operation methods and sediment discharge indicators of the Xiaolangdi Reservoir for the recent pre-flood water and sediment regulation had been optimized from the perspectives of  mitigating reservoir siltation, reducing safety risks in downstream river channels, lowering the sandbar at the entrance of the Zhenshui tributary, and increasing the reservoir’s sediment discharge capacity. The water level for sediment discharge operation should be lower than the sedimentation surface of newly deposited sediments in the main stream channel and the elevation of the internal sedimentation surface of the Zhenshui tributary. About 12 hours before the water level of the Xiaolangdi Reservoir was dropped to the sediment discharge water level, the Sanmenxia Reservoir should first release a small flood process with a discharge of approximately 1 400 m³/s to scour and gradually restore the flow capacity of the river channel. After that, the outflow discharge of the Sanmenxia Reservoir should be increased in real time to around 3 000 m³/s. During the sediment discharge period, the Xiaolangdi Reservoir maintained balanced inflow and outflow operation. Through optimization, during the 2025 pre-flood water and sediment regulation, the maximum outflow sediment concentration of the Xiaolangdi Reservoir is reduced to 250 kg/m³; the outflow sediment volume is 168.3 million tons, and the erosion volume in the reservoir area is 107.0 million tons. Both the outflow sediment volume and the erosion volume rank first among all previous water and sediment regulation before the flood season.

Clarifying the game synergy relationships between agricultural water saving and ecological security is the foundation for determining the water-saving potential as well as maintaining ecological security in irrigation areas. This study adopted ecological value calculation, tendency analysis and formulated ecological security area approaches to identify the matching degree between the supply and demand of ecological values. On this basis, the study analyzed the matching situation of ecological value supply and demand in the Hetao irrigation area, the evolution laws of the scale of agricultural irrigation, the area of forests, grasslands and lakes and ecological value under the scenario of agricultural water conservation, clarified the groundwater burial depth threshold for maintaining the ecological functions of forests, grasslands, lakes and farmlands, and identified the game synergy relationship between agricultural water conservation and ecological security. The results show that the supply of ecological values relies on human activities such as ecological water replenishment and surface irrigation, and there is a certain degree of mismatch with ecological demand. With the advancement of agricultural water saving, groundwater depth increases, the ecological security area decreases, and ecological functions weaken. There exists a competitive relationship between agriculture and ecology in terms of water and land use. A reasonable ecological groundwater depth is a prerequisite for maintaining the ecological functions of irrigation areas.

This study focused on analyzing the sediment discharge effect of the Qingtongxia and Haibowan reservoirs during the joint sediment flushing period in the upper and middle reaches of the Yellow River from 2023 to 2024, as well as the erosion and deposition characteristics of the Ningxia-Inner Mongolia reach. Additionally, the sediment transport patterns in this reach were investigated. The results indicate that during the joint sediment flushing period, the sediment discharge ratios of both the Qingtongxia and Haibowan reservoirs exceed 150% effectively, and their storage capacities are effectively restored. Rapid deposition occurs in the Qingtongxia-Shizuishan and Bayangaole-Toudaoguai sections downstream of the reservoirs, with the deposited sediment being largely eroded during the non-flood season of the same year or the following year. Furthermore, relationships are established between the sediment discharge ratio of the Qingtongxia-Shizuishan section during the flushing period at Qingtongxia Reservoir and both the proportion of scoured sediment from the reservoir area in the outgoing sediment and the sediment coefficient of the flushing flood. It is also identified that when the sediment concentration at the outlet of Haibowan Reservoir exceeds 4 kg/m³, the Bayangaole-Baotou section has changed from erosion to siltation.

The effectiveness of water-saving measures aimed at improving water resources utilization efficiency will be affected by the rebound effect of water resources. This paper took Gansu Province as an example, and built Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model to measure the rebound effect of water resources when the production water efficiency was increased by 1%, 5% and 10% respectively, and discussed the economic and environmental effects of the improvement of water use efficiency. The results indicate that improving the water use efficiency of various production sectors will stimulate the economic development of Gansu Province. There is a rebound effect of water resources in Gansu Province, and there are large differences among different departments. In the long run, the water resources consumption of various economic agents and departments increase to varying degrees with the improvement of production water efficiency, and the rebound effect shows a trend of increasing year by year.

Both microbially induced calcium carbonate deposition (MICP) technology and plant-derived urease-induced calcium carbonate deposition (EICP) technology can be used for soil improvement. Compared with MICP, EICP is more practical due to its simplified operation process. In order to provide practical references for the application of EICP technology in the repair of loess fissures and soil erosion control, the loess soil samples with fissures were treated by soybean urease-induced calcium carbonate deposition (SICP) technology. The slope angle of soil samples was set at 45°, and a simulated rainfall erosion test was conducted with a rainfall intensity of 0.75 mm/min (45 mm/h) and a rainfall duration of 30 minutes. The rainfall erosion process of soil samples was captured with a camera, and the erosion rate and cumulative erosion weight were calculated. XRD phase analysis and SEM micromorphology were conducted to observe the mineral components and microstructure of soil samples after rainfall erosion. The results show that a) after the soil samples are treated with SICP, soil erosion is delayed, the erosion rate and cumulative erosion weight are reduced, and the maximum erosion rate and cumulative erosion weight are only 8% and 7% of the control soil samples, respectively. b) The filling of soil sample pores and cementation of soil particles by SICP-mediated calcium carbonate crystals improve the microstructure of loess, enhance the soil compactness and bonding force between soil particles, and form a dense crust. This is the main mechanism for the repair of loess fissures and the enhancement of its erosion resistance.

Aiming at the technical challenges in deep hole grouting of the Xinjiang tunnel Project, such as the traditional inflatable grout plug being prone to puncture by high pressure, the drill rod joint thread stripping and falling off, and hidden safety hazards from power failure and pressure loss, this study developed and applied the “cement slurry bag-type grout plug” sealing technology.  The paper systematically expounded the construction process, material selection for the bag, and design of key parameters of this technology. The engineering practice research shows that when using polypropylene filament geotextile (200 g/m²) to fabricate the bag, designing the bag diameter as 3.5-4.0 times the borehole diameter, and setting the sealing bag length to 1.22 m, the plug can withstand a high pressure of 6.5 MPa. Comparing with traditional processes, this technology not only reduces equipment investment, eliminates safety hazards, and shortens the construction period but also achieves significant dual reductions in direct and indirect costs. It features notable advantages such as high-pressure resistance, zero operating cost, and simple operation, providing a reliable reference solution for the sealing treatment of deep hole grouting in similar projects.

In order to address the challenges of safe operation of reservoirs in the context of frequent extreme weather events, based on the framework of modern reservoir operation management matrix system, taking Meizhou Reservoir in Guangdong Province as an example, this paper explored the systematic building and practice of flood control “four pre” (forecasting, early warning, rehearsal, and contingency plan) measures in the matrix. This paper integrated CNFF distributed hydrological model, progressive risk warning model, Godunov format flood dynamics model, digital twin scenario rehearsal technology, and intelligent contingency plan generation technology, and built a full chain management process with “four pre” as the technical center. The application results show that the “four pre” measures significantly extend the forecast period of reservoir floods, improve the accuracy of risk warning, the authenticity of scenario simulation, and the scientificity of dispatch plans. The reservoir simulation and contingency plans are presented in a visual form, helping decision-makers quickly understand flood scenarios and formulate optimal dispatch strategies.