In line with its evolution characteristics and governance background of the Yellow River estuary

the governance course of the Yellow River estuary since 1855 has been divided into four development stages

namely passive flood control

creating favorable conditions to fend off natural disasters

maintaining the river health

and building a happy river. In addition

the governance strategy in each stage has been summarized systematically. On the basis of the status quo of the Yellow River estuary

this paper evaluates the existing problems in the comprehensive governance of the Yellow River estuary from four aspects

including estuary safety

supply

allocation

and utilization of river resources

environmental and ecological protection

as well as systematic governance and high-quality development. It further provides insights into and proposes suggestions on the formulation of the comprehensive governance strategy concerning the Yellow River estuary in the future.