Abstract: In view of the fact that the traditional ecological footprint model ignores the insufficient water resources occupied by water pollution and purification when considering the amount of water resources, and the water balance coefficient is calculated based on the global average level which can't reflect the actual situation of the study area, this paper uses the new calculation method of balance factor and water balance coefficient to improve the traditional ecological footprint model, analyzes the ecological footprint and ecological carrying capacity of water resources in Tianjin from 2012 to 2022, evaluates the sustainable use of water resources in Tianjin, and analyzes the ecological pressure on water resources in Tianjin. The results showed that from 2012 to 2022, the ecological footprint of water resources in Tianjin was 24.41 Mhm², of which the ecological footprint of agricultural water accounted for the largest proportion, and the ecological footprint of water pollution showed a significant decrease. The ecological carrying capacity fluctuates year by year, and the interannual variation is greatly affected by the annual rainfall.

Key words: ecological footprint of water resources, ecological carrying capacity, ecological pressure on water resources, ecological footprint model