Optimizing irrigation and nitrogen management is essential for improving crop productivity, mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and supporting sustainable agricultural development. However, their combined effects on carbon balance and eco-economic performance in maize systems remain insufficiently explored, particularly in arid regions. A two-year field experiment was conducted from 2023 to 2024 in the arid region of Northwest China to evaluate the combined effects of irrigation and nitrogen management on drip-irrigated spring maize. Three irrigation levels (W1, W2, W3) and four nitrogen rates (F1, F2, F3, F4) were applied, and grain yield (GY), GHG emissions, carbon footprint (CF), and net ecosystem economic benefits (NEEB) were evaluated. A Zscore-based multi-indicator assessment was used to determine the optimal treatment. W2F3 exhibited a clear trade-off advantage, simultaneously increasing yield and reducing environmental costs. Its global warming potential (GWP) was 573.30-600.27 kg CO2-eq ha-1, 14.23-20.32 % lower than W3F4, while grain yield reached 14,686.26-15,412.71 kg ha-1, 21.65-23.35 % higher than W1F1. Nitrogen fertilization significantly enhanced soil organic carbon (SOC) storage by 3.82-6.98 %, and W2F3 improved the net ecosystem carbon budget (NECB) by increasing net primary productivity (NPP) while limiting GHG losses. In contrast, excessive nitrogen input reduced NECB due to amplified emissions. The W2F3 treatment concurrently enhanced yield and carbon sequestration capacity, significantly reduced the carbon footprint per unit of yield, and achieved the highest NEEB. Overall, W2F3 proved to be the most effective strategy, achieving high yield while enhancing carbon sequestration and reducing emission intensity. Integrated water-nitrogen regulation therefore provides a practical pathway for developing green, efficient, and climate-resilient maize production systems in arid regions, contributing to both agricultural sustainability and climate change mitigation.