# Dynamic Evaluation and Internal Driving Factors of Water Resources Green Efficiency in China
## 4 Result and Discussion
### Dynamic Trend of Water Resources Green Efficiency
#### 4.1.2 Spatial Differentiation Characteristics of Water Resources Green Efficiency Improvement  
(1) Results presented in Table 2 and Figure 2 show that water resources green efficiency improvement was achieved in 14 provinces (Beijing, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Hubei, Chongqing, Sichuan, Guizhou, Gansu and Ningxia) and nationwide. The degree of efficiency improvement in these 14 provinces exceeded 1.1% and was higher than that at the national level. In contrast, the improvement in water resources green efficiency in 16 other provinces (Tianjin, Hebei, Liaoning, Shanghai, Fujian, Jiangxi, Shandong, Henan, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Yunnan, Shaanxi, Qinghai and Xinjiang) was slower than that at the national level. This difference shows that the water resources green efficiency in most provinces still needs to be improved, and it is necessary to adjust the input-output ratio based on high-quality economic development to improve the green efficiency of water resources. (2) The top ten provinces in terms of water resources green efficiency improvement during 2000-2016 were Shanxi, Beijing, Inner Mongolia, Jiangsu, Ningxia, Anhui, Heilongjiang, Gansu, Chongqing and Zhejiang. The green efficiency of water resources in these provinces improved faster than the national average. Figure 2 shows that the areas with the fastest improvements in water resources green efficiency were mainly distributed in the western region. This phenomenon may have been due to the absence of water quality issues and serious water pollution in some provinces in the eastern and central regions, while water pollution in the western regions was relatively light and the ecological environment was better than in the east [58]. Moreover, the late-developing advantage of economic development in the western region has made it pay more attention to ecological environment protection, so that the water resources green efficiency improvement in the western region was higher than that in the eastern and central regions. These results also indicate there was no significant positive correlation between the improvement of water resources green efficiency and economic development. (3) Table 2 and Figure 2 show that the water resources green efficiency in Guangxi has mostly deteriorated over the past 17 years, and improvement in water resources green efficiency in Yunnan, Tianjin and Liaoning was stagnant in most years. In particular, the water resources green efficiency in Yunnan did not change throughout the study period. This stagnation occurred mainly because Guangxi, as one of the 10 non-ferrous metal producing areas in China, pursued economic benefits through extensive mining, resulting in water pollution and ecological environment destruction, and deterioration  
Figure 2: Average water resource green efficiency improvement (for the 2000–2016 study period) at the provincial level compared to that at the national level. of water resources green efficiency. As the pillar industries of Yunnan, the tobacco industry, sugar industry and tea industry also cause large environmental problems. However, the importance of water resources to agriculture has enabled the government to strengthen the protection of water resources, effectively stabilizing Yunnan's water resources green efficiency [59]. Tianjin and Liaoning have well-developed economies. However, due to the inefficient industrial structure and serious population loss, the allocation of resources was unbalanced, resulting in the stagnation of water resources green efficiency in most years. (4) The improvement of water resources in Hebei, Shandong, Henan, Hunan and Hainan provinces was lower than the national average. However, the improvements were achieved mostly at the expense of the ecological environment. As a result, the social development index of individual regions decreased instead of increasing, resulting in a lower degree of improvement in the water resources green efficiency.