Guided by the national strategic goals of ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin, in view of the integrity, complexity and super-large scale of ecological protection and management of Yellow River Basin, simply relying on the traditional administrative control means aimed at environmental protection elements is not enough to achieve the established goals and tasks of ecological protection and high-quality development. According to the national goal and strategic orientation of ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin, and based on the natural, economic and social attributes of the ecosystem, it is necessary for the state to play the role of macro-ecological regulation with "high promotion". The driving force of overall, systematic and coordinated guiding regulation means should be used to strengthen the means, tools and mechanisms of ecological protection and management in the Yellow River Basin at the macro level. The macro-ecological regulation of the Yellow River Basin is to play the role of the state in the systematic regulation of the overall spatial governance and legal management, based on the logical relationship of "strategic needs - overall goals of ecological protection-state responsibilities". The application of "target + planning + tools" is the core element of the establishment of macro-ecological regulation mechanism. Under the objective requirement of advancing law-based governance in all respects, the macro-ecological regulation mechanism of the Yellow River Basin, which is centered on the axis of "target + planning + tools", should be confirmed, guaranteed and standardized by law, in order to realize the standardization, institutionalization and rule of law of the main body of power, the use of tools and the procedure of macro-ecological regulation in the Yellow River Basin, and achieve the strategic goals of ecological protection and high-quality development.