The　economic　development,　population　growth　and　rapid　urbanization　in　the　Yangtze　River　Economic　Belt　(YREB)　have　resulted　in　an　imbalance　between　socio-economic　development　and　available　water　resources　of　adjacent　urban　agglomerations.　Exploring　the　virtual　water　flow　(VWF)　of　adjacent　urban　agglomerations　in　YREB　is　crucial　for　the　collaborative　management　of　water　resources.　In　this　study,　a　factorial-based　dynamic　distributive　model　(FDDM)　is　first　developed　to　analyze　the　variations　in　virtual　water　transfers　and　inter/inner-sectoral　relationships　within　multi-urban　agglomerations,　and　expound　the　spatiotemporal　diffusion　effects　of　multiple　water　policy　alterna-tives　(and　their　combinations)　for　virtual　water.　The　FDDM　is　applied　in　YREB＇s　urban　agglomerations　covering　Yang-tze　River　Delta　(YRDA),　Middle　Reach　of　Yangtze　River　(MRA)　and　Chengyu　Urban　Agglomeration　(CYA).　The　FDDM　is　capable　of　i)　quantifying　the　dynamic　evolution　of　direct/indirect　virtual　water　volume　and　virtual　water　transfer　direction/path　between　and　within　urban　agglomerations;　ii)　demonstrating　the　spatiotemporal　changes　of　the　con-trol/dependent　relationship　within　sectors　in　sub-urban　agglomerations,　as　well　as　the　evolution　of　utility　relationship　within　the　system;　iii)　evaluating　the　interactions　of　different　water　policies　(and　their　combinations)　within　each　sub-urban　agglomeration/key　sectors　on　the　direct　and　indirect　virtual　water　consumption　of　the　system.　Our　major　find-ings　are:　(i)　YRDA　always　has　the　largest　direct　and　indirect　water　consumption　as　well　as　the　water　consumption　in-tensities　from　2007　to　2017;　(ii)　The　three　national　urban　agglomerations　have　evolved　in　the　direction　of　benign　development;　(iii)　the　interactions　between　YRDA　and　MRA,　YRDA_FLF　(sector　of　farming,　forest,　livestock,　and　fish-ery　in　YRDA)　and　MRA_FTO　(sector　of　food　and　tobacco　processing　in　MRA)　on　VWF　are　obvious.　These　results　will　provide　a　new　insight　for　balancing　urban　agglomeration　development　and　water　resource　utilization　in　YREB.