Abstract:The establishment of the inter-governmental cooperation network in the Yellow River Basin can provide a practical basis for achieving high-quality development of ecological protection in the basin. Using 1 263 intergovernmental agreements on ecological protection among local governments in the Yellow River Basin as a sample, this study visualizes the inter-governmental cooperation structure of ecological protection in the Yellow River Basin from a social network perspective. The characteristics of the inter-governmental cooperation network are characterized by overall indicators and centrality, and the impact of seven variables, including geographical proximity, economic development level, administrative affiliation, administrative hierarchy differences, cooperative organization network, administrative leadership relationship, and ecological protection level, on the establishment of intergovernmental cooperation relationships is analyzed through the secondary assignment procedure (QAP). Research has found that the inter-governmental cooperation network in the Yellow River Basin is tight, but the overall network density is still at a relatively low level; The inter-governmental cooperation network in the Yellow River Basin exhibits a composite structural feature, specifically manifested as triangular structure, star structure, network structure, etc; Henan Province is located at the core of the inter-governmental cooperation network and has a significant radiating and driving effect on surrounding areas; Geographical proximity, economic development level, administrative hierarchy differences, administrative leadership relationships, and ecological protection level are the main driving factors for inter-governmental cooperation in ecological protection in the Yellow River Basin.