Evaluation of the Synergistic Interactions Between Socioeconomic Development and Ecosystem Services in China's Hebei Province: A Perspective from the SDGs

Coordinating ecosystem services (ESs) and socioeconomic development is crucial for sustainability. This study examined Hebei Province, China, a representative region within the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei area with diverse ecosystems and sharp developmental contrasts. A comprehensive evaluation framework aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was developed, integrating economic, social, and ES dimensions. The entropy weight-TOPSIS method was used for overall assessment, and self-organizing maps (SOM) were employed to analyze spatial coupling relationships. The results indicate that social and economic indicators often exhibit synergistic effects, whereas trade-offs dominate the relationship between socioeconomic indicators and ecosystem services. In the multidimensional coordinated development zone is coordinated, all three dimensions display integrated progress. Socioeconomic development in Hebei Province shows a “multi-sphere” pattern of spatial expansion, while ecosystem services reveal distinct “mountain–plain” contrasts. Ecological functions have undergone significant transformations across prefecture from 2005 to 2020, with the region as a whole demonstrating coordinated development—characterized by relatively stable ecosystem services alongside gradual improvement in the low socioeconomic development zone. This study clarifies the synergistic mechanisms between regional development and ES, providing a theoretical and methodological basis for differentiated sustainable development strategies under the SDG framework.