Abstract: In order to research the coordination relationship between water resources environment and economic development based on the improved water ecological footprint model, we calculated the water ecological footprint and water quality ecological footprint of the Central Plains Urban Agglomeration from 2001 to 2016. Continuing further, we constructed the decoupling evaluation model and coordination degree model from the macro and micro levels.Based on the Research on regional economic development and water environment relationship, the research showed that: (1) the overall water ecological footprint of the Central Plains Urban Agglomeration showed an increasing trend of fluctuation, and the agricultural water footprint had the largest proportion of the water ecological footprint, exceeding 50%. (2) The ratio of groundwater quality ecological footprint to surface water quality ecological footprint was about 4∶3. The largest pollutant in the surface water quality ecological footprint from 2001 to 2010 was nitrate nitrogen. Phosphorus was the most important pollutant in 2011-2016. The law that governs to the ecological footprint of groundwater was more complicated and determined by the rotation of multiple pollutants. (3) In the relationship between water resources environment and economic development of the Central Plains Urban Agglomeration, most of the years before 2010 were in the stage of weak decoupling and primary coordination. After 2010, the number of strong decoupling years increased significantly, and coordination improved, which was intermediate coordination. From 2001 to 2016, the coordination relationship between water resources environment and economic development was transformed from the uncoordinated weak decoupling and the intermediate coordination of the primary coordination to the strong decoupling indicating that the economic development of the Central Plains Urban Agglomeration and the coordination of water resources environment was gradually increasing. (4) The coordination of water resources environment and economic development among cities within the Central Plains Urban Agglomeration showed a trend which had been steadily increasing from year to year, and there was a high similarity in space. The performance of the Central Plains Urban Agglomeration in coordination was better than its performance on the decoupling index.