Water security is crucial for the sustainable development of regional water resources. Here, we utilize the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework to construct an indicator system for assessing water security in the Lancang–Mekong River Basin (LMRB). This study also delves into the level of development in the coupling coordination between the economic and social systems and the water resources systems in the basin. The findings reveal that the overall water security situation in the LMRB is satisfactory, with three countries (China, Laos, and Vietnam) surpassing the “safe” threshold and three countries (Thailand, Cambodia, and Myanmar) “Basically safe”. However, water security issues persist, particularly in relation to water pollution and scarcity. Seasonal water shortages and water-related disasters arise due to uneven rainfall distribution throughout the year and inadequate regulating facilities such as wetlands and reservoirs. In addition, the overall coupling coordination level in the LMRB is low, ranging between 0.3 and 0.4, corresponding to a moderate imbalance level in the assessment criteria system. Specifically, Laos and China exhibit the highest coupling coordination level, with a degree of 0.36, whereas Thailand and Myanmar demonstrate the lowest level, with degrees of 0.33 and 0.31, respectively. Overall, our results offer a scientific foundation for the sustainable development of countries within the LMRB.

The rapid development of coastal urban agglomerations in China has gained global attention since the 1980s. Recently, several regions in the Central China have also experienced rapid economic development. The objectives of this paper are to explore whether the spatial pattern of urban growth in Central China's urban agglomerations is the same as those costal ones and whether it is driven by anything other than external forces. Using the Changzhutan region as an example, this study analyses the economic transformation and spatial restructuring of the populations in urban agglomerations in Central China and explores the driving factors of urban growth using regression models. We find that most of the population is concentrated in prefecture‐level city districts and county seats, which is markedly different from the large‐scale regional population agglomerations found in the coastal urban agglomerations. Domestic investment, instead of foreign investment, and human capital, has become important factors driving the population migration. This finding sharply contrasts with the pattern found in coastal urban agglomerations, where regional concentrations of the population and economic activities are primarily driven by labour‐intensive and global economies. This case study may serve as a basis for future urban planning and management in Central China.

The overexploitation of groundwater in China has raised concern, as it has caused a series of environmental and ecological problems. However, far too little attention has been paid to the relationship between groundwater use and the spatial distribution of water users, especially that of manufacturing factories. In this study, a factory scatter index (FSI) was constructed to represent the spatial dispersion degree of manufacturing factories in China. It was found that counties and border areas between neighboring provinces registered the highest FSI increases. Further non-spatial and spatial regression models using 205 provincial-level secondary river basins in China from 2016 showed that the scattered distribution of manufacturing plants played a key role in groundwater withdrawal in China, especially in areas with a fragile ecological environment. The scattered distribution of manufacturing plants raises the cost of tap water transmission, makes monitoring and supervision more difficult, and increases the possibility of surface water pollution, thereby intensifying groundwater withdrawal. A reasonable spatial adjustment of manufacturing industry through planning and management can reduce groundwater withdrawal and realize the protection of groundwater. Our study may provide a basis for water-demand management through spatial adjustment in areas with high water scarcity and a fragile ecological environment.

The mixture of agricultural and non-agricultural land-use represents a new pattern of urbanization in the Global South. This mixture has hindered the improvement of land-use productivity and makes it difficult to achieve the centralized disposal of pollutants, which has resulted in the waste of land resources and serious environmental problems. Although many studies have investigated land-use mixture, most of them remain descriptive and lack quantitative examination and an in-depth mechanism analysis. Using raster land-use data, this paper examines the spatiotemporal pattern of the land-use mixture in China between 1990 and 2015 by calculating join counts values supplemented by landscape metrics, and attempts to explain the regional variations in land-use mixtures in recent years. The results show that, between 2000 and 2010, land-use was more mixed in fast-growing regions such as Zhejiang, Fujian, Chongqing, Guangdong, and some major metropolises and mining cities, and that, between 2010 and 2015, land-use was more mixed in Central China. Additionally, the results of econometric models reveal that mixed land-use can be alleviated in regions with strict land planning and management, such as urban agglomerations in the Yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River Delta, as well as in areas with high levels of urbanization. Furthermore, the results of a spatial heterogeneity analysis show that strict land management has played an important role in reducing the land-use mixture in Eastern China; however, it has not played a significant role in Central China. The findings of this study suggest that land-use should be appropriately planned and managed to ensure sustainable development.