Social network analysis of industrial interdependence in the yellow river basin from a water resource input-output perspective

The Yellow River Basin, despite containing only 2% of China’s total water resources, sustains a significant proportion of the nation’s population and arable land, creating a notable conflict between industrial development and water resource limitations. To understand the interdependencies of water resources across industrial sectors, this study integrates Input-Output Analysis (IOA) with Social Network Analysis (SNA), investigating 42 industrial sectors across nine provinces in the Yellow River Basin during 2012 and 2017. The results reveal the following key insights: (1) The industrial linkage network displays small-world characteristics, with high clustering and short path lengths, but a decreasing overall water-use connectivity and substantial regional disparities; (2) The network’s core-periphery structure has evolved, with peripheral regions reducing their dependence on core sectors; (3) By 2017, the 42 sectors can be grouped into eight clusters, with the processing of timber and furniture serving as a cross-cluster bridge, while the construction sector demonstrates a strong driving influence and the Agriculture, Forestry, Animal Husbandry, and Fishery sector exhibits inward-oriented linkages; (4) Core sectors such as Agriculture, Forestry, Animal Husbandry, and Fishery maintained high in-degree connectivity, while sectors like the Manufacture of General Purpose Machinery and Production and Distribution of Tap Water displayed significant increases in out-degree. This study offers valuable insights for optimizing water resource allocation and promoting sustainable economic development in the Yellow River Basin.