Abstract:The Pearl River is the largest river flowing into the South China Sea in China. The unique natural environmental characteristics and geographical location make the Pearl River Basin (PRB) rich in natural resources and huge development potential, and it has an important strategic position in the construction of China’s ecological security system and national economic development planning. At present, the upper and middle reaches of the PRB consist of crucial part of China’s strategic pattern of ecological security, and the lower reach is the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. However, influenced by multiple factors such as regional resource endowment and development conditions, there is a huge gap between the rich and the poor in the upper and lower reaches of the PRB and between the East and the West. The construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has insufficient momentum, and some local regions are facing numerous challenges such as resource shortage, ecological degradation, and environmental pollution. To comprehensively strengthen the ecological protection of the Pearl River Basin and promote the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, it is recommended to carry out top-level design and scientific research urgently to form a synergistic development path based on strengthening ecological protection and green development in PRB to support the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.