Assessment and driving factor analysis of eco-environmental security for the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Eco-environmental security reflects a region's capacity to mitigate threats posed by ecological degradation and resource scarcity, thereby sustaining its environmental support for economic development. Monitoring and evaluating changes in eco-environmental security are essential for promoting regional sustainability. However, existing ecological security indices predominantly focus on vegetation resources and often overlook critical factors, such as water and soil resources. This study develops an integrated eco-environmental security index that encompasses water, soil, life, and air components. Using the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau as a case study, we assess changes in eco-environmental security between 2000 and 2020. The results show that (1) the eco-environmental security situation in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau region decreases from southeast to northwest, with climate and terrain being the dominant factors shaping this spatial pattern. (2) Influenced by the warming and humidification of the climate, the interannual trend is gradually improving, but extreme climate events have caused certain disturbances. (3) The Hurst index indicates that the eco-environmental security conditions in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau region are expected to improve in the future. The index developed in this study accounts for the unique geographical and climatic conditions of the plateau, offering both methodological and theoretical insights for assessing ecological security in ecologically vulnerable areas and supporting regional sustainable development.