Spatiotemporal Evolution and Drivers of Ecological Footprint: A Case Study of Sichuan Province from an Economic Area Perspective

This study takes Sichuan’s major economic zones as a case to explore the evolution of ecological environment development. By improving the traditional ecological footprint model based on the concept of “provincial hectare,” we analyzed the characteristics of ecological utilization and ecological security status in Sichuan’s economic zones from 2013 to 2022. A comprehensive evaluation was conducted through factor analysis driven by geographical detectors. The results indicate that (1) from 2013 to 2022, Sichuan Province generally exhibited a “supply falling short of demand” situation, with a slight decrease in per capita ecological carrying capacity and a significant decreasing trend in GDP ecological footprint. The industrial structure of the Panxi and Chengdu Plain economic zones was relatively reasonable, with a notable improvement in resource utilization efficiency, while the Northeastern Sichuan Economic Zone lagged behind. (2) The ecological security focus was distributed in the southeastern region, showing an overall “northeast–southwest” distribution pattern. The ecological restoration in the Southern and Northwestern Sichuan Economic Zones needs to be strengthened. (3) The output value of the secondary industry, R&D expenditure, and urban construction land were the main factors influencing ecological footprint changes. The average urban temperature interacted with other factors, showing a significant effect.