Water proximity is a fundamental human need for survival. Utilizing urban public waterfront spaces to provide places for people to enjoy and interact with water is an essential practice in the construction of ecological civilization. This paper introduces and interprets the concept and connotation of the water proximity index

constructing an evaluation index system and its derivative indicators based on five dimensions: safety and convenience

ecological health

water proximity comfort

popularity and vitality

and demonstration effect. The weight of each indicator is determined using the Analytic Hierarchy Process( AHP)

and practical application ideas are proposed. Focusing on the completed Ecological Belt project in Guangdong

the water proximity index indicator system is applied to statistically analyze the water proximity index of 147 Ecological Belts in Guangdong

evaluating the comprehensive water proximity index of both individual Ecological Belts and regions through a combination of point-and-area approaches. This supports the launch of a series of products

including the Most Romantic Ecological Belt

Sports Ecological Belt

and the Water Proximity Camping Map in Guangdong. The results have been widely applied in the construction and promotion of Ecological Belts in Guangdong Province and are expected to be extended to evaluate the social service functions of river and lake ecological spaces in other regions.