How does new quality productivity empower the enhancement of water resource welfare performance?A dynamic QCA analysis based on provincial panel data

WANG Xiangqian; CHEN Shuo; JIN Huayi

doi:10.13202/j.cnki.cer.2026.01.02

Abstract：The improvement of water resource welfare performance is of great significance for enhancing people's wellbeing and promoting the sustainable development of the economy.This study employs panel data from 30 Chinese provinces spanning 2012-2023 to systematically analyze the spatiotemporal evolution of new-type productive forces and water resource welfare performance.It further utilizes dynamic QCA methods to reveal the configuration pathways and operational mechanisms through which new-type productive forces drive improvements in water resource welfare performance.The study finds:① No single factor constitutes a necessary condition for enhancing water resource welfare performance,but the necessity of factors such as innovation productivity and technological productivity is gradually becoming apparent;② Five configuration pathways exist for high water resource welfare performance,which can be categorized into innovation-driven,technology-driven,and innovation-industry-digital synergy-driven types,low water resource welfare performance is constrained by the absence of core factors such as innovation,technology,and digital industries;③Significant regional variations exist in high-performance pathways:Eastern regions predominantly follow"innovation+industrial-digital synergy,"while Central and Western regions emphasize"innovation-driven"and"resource+digital industry synergy"approaches,with some pathways exhibiting factor substitution effects;④ No significant temporal effects were observed across configurations,though consistency levels for certain pathways fluctuated with economic restructuring and policy implementation.This study reveals diverse pathways through which new-quality productive forces empower water resource welfare performance,providing empirical support for regions to formulate tailored policies based on local conditions.