This study develops a "Sustainable Water Space" network model to analyze the synergistic relationships among 53 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) indicators in the Yellow River Basin from 2015 to 2022. It reveals a stable four-cluster structure and identifies key water-related indicators—such as water use per unit GDP—that have evolved into critical "bridges" linking socioeconomic and water systems. The analysis further categorizes regions by complexity and eigenvector centrality, proposing differentiated policy strategies, such as focusing on residential wastewater reduction in high-complexity areas and industrial pollution control in low-complexity ones. The framework offers a systematic tool for guiding coordinated water management and sustainable development in the basin.

A new flagship UN report warns that the world has entered an era of “global water bankruptcy,” where decades of overuse, pollution, and climate‑driven disruption have pushed many water systems beyond recovery. The analysis shows that long‑term withdrawals now exceed natural replenishment in numerous regions, resulting in depleted aquifers, shrinking lakes and wetlands, and rising land subsidence. The authors urge governments to shift from short‑term crisis response to “bankruptcy management” by preventing further irreversible damage, transforming water‑intensive sectors, and prioritizing just transitions for vulnerable communities.