Search Results (6)

Horizontal ecological compensation represents a significant institutional innovation aimed at advancing ecological civilization and serves as a key functional strategy within China’s current management framework. This paper employs the horizontal ecological protection compensation agreement of the Yu-Lu section of the Yellow River Basin as a case study. Using a game theory model and theoretical analysis, the paper explores the underlying connotations, theoretical foundations, and legal characteristics of the basin’s horizontal ecological protection compensation mechanism. This analysis reveals several challenges within the existing horizontal ecological protection compensation system in the Yellow River Basin, including the predominance of a single compensation entity, unclear compensation standards, a compensation model limited to monetary transfers, and the absence of an effective dispute resolution mechanism. This paper further examines potential improvements to the horizontal ecological protection compensation framework in the Yellow River Basin from a legal system perspective, with the aim of addressing these practical challenges and fostering the region’s ecological, environmental, and economic development. Full article

Ecological compensation is one of the important measures to coordinate regional ecological protection and economic development. As the only inter-provincial river in Fujian Province and the second inter-provincial watershed of the eco-compensation pilot in China, the Tingjiang River basin has attracted increasing attention from policy makers and scholars. This study aims to systematically analyze the ecological compensation mechanism and improve the effectiveness of ecological protection in the Tingjiang River basin. In this paper, ecosystem service value (ESV) is used as a criterion for establishing ecological compensation standards. Based on the land cover datasets from 2010 to 2020, the spatial distribution and the dynamic changes of ESV were determined. Subsequently, the priority and standards of ecological compensation were established according to the level of the socio-economic development. Finally, the horizontal ecological compensation was determined by combining the actual benefits and willingness-to-pay of downstream beneficiary regions. The results indicate the following findings: (1) The ESV of the Tingjiang River basin exhibited a decreasing trend over the past decade. It decreased from CNY 70.72 billion in 2010 to CNY 69.05 billion in 2020, with a rate of change of −2.37%; (2) The growth of GDP in the research area has led to a decrease in the priority and standards of ecological compensation. The ecological compensation quota shows a decreasing trend from upstream to downstream, that is, Changting county (33%) > Wuping county (27%) > Shanghang county (21%) > Yongding district (19%); (3) The amounts of horizontal ecological compensation that Guangdong province need to pay are CNY 224 million, 166 million, and 109 million in 2010, 2015, and 2020, respectively. The findings of this research can not only optimize the allocation of ecological compensation, but also provide a reference for other countries/regions to carry out relevant research work. Full article

Horizontal eco-compensation lacks effective solutions for implementing comprehensive multifactor compensation and determining the compensation standard. To meet those needs, a method named entropy flat surface was proposed and put into practice. However, some scientific problems were found. More specifically, the measurement method of the ecological value was controversial, and the value diffusion model did not reflect the change in the value gradient caused by spatial distance, while the value diffusion had an unclear scope. Therefore, this work optimized and studied the entropy curved-surface method in the case of E’zhou City. The main goal was to build a value-surface model of ecological regulating services based on maximum entropy production. As far as a tangible normal distribution surface is concerned, the model was more consistent with the ecosystem’s energy flow characteristics. The external output of value could be precisely expressed by the dynamic and stable expansion state of the surface model. Therefore, the eco-compensation relations and results were clear. Theoretically, the E’Cheng and Huarong Districts should pay a total of 114 million CNY to the Liangzi Lake District. Our work provided a new perspective, in terms of finding a rule of the ecological regulating service values of the macro morphological structure, simulating the transmission and diffusion of multiple values in interregional areas, solving the calculation problem of the horizontal ecological comprehensive compensation standard, and clarifying the relations of compensation. Full article

China’s Grassland Eco-Subsidy Program has been implemented since 2011 to protect and sustain grassland resources and improve the economic situation of herders. In this case study, we aimed to evaluate the policy from the perspective of pastoral differentiations and their willingness to accept (WTA) the eco-subsidy. Using the contingent valuation method (CVM), we interviewed 410 herder households in the grass–livestock balance sub-policy zones across Inner Mongolia, and examined how their horizontal and vertical differentiation affected their WTA and compensation expectations in a sorted Logistic model and a Tobit model, respectively. Our findings suggest that horizontal differentiation of herders (variations of income sources and employment) promoted the WTA for the eco-subsidy and inhibited the increase in compensation expectations. A large vertical differentiation extent (income disparity) lowered the WTA but raised expectations for payment levels. Additionally, factors such as operating pasture area, precipitation, and supervision intensity had significant impacts. Grazing income remained the primary income source for most herder households, reflecting the characteristics of “the rational economic man”. Our results suggest a need for policy improvements to guide herders towards becoming “rational ecological men”. By considering this differentiation, policy makers can better tailor the program to meet the needs and expectations of diverse herder households. Full article

Payments for ecosystem services (PES) are designed to reduce the impact of human activities on eco-sensitive areas. PES programs often adopt economic-incentive and command-control strategies. Increasing the enthusiasm of farmers’ participation is crucial for the sustainability of PES programs and ecosystem restoration. The watershed ecological compensation in Xin’an River Basin is the first horizontal ecological compensation pilot in China. In this study, economic-incentive strategy and command-control strategies in living and farming are implemented simultaneously to improve water quality. Under the collective action framework, we analyze the drivers of farmers’ participation in three concurrent strategies using hierarchical linear models (HLM). The results show: (1) Overall, 81.79%, 76.26%, and 79.11% of farmers are willing to participate in economic-incentive strategy, command-control strategy in living, and command-control strategy in farming, respectively, while 18.21%, 23.74%, and 20.89% are from the village level. (2) Among statistically significant (p < 0.01) factors at the farmer level, social trust (β = 0.305), and social participation (β = 0.134) have positive effects on the economic-incentive strategy; the number of communication and entertainment equipment has a positive effect on the willingness to participate in command-control strategy in living (β = 0.287) and command-control strategy in farming (β = 0.336). (3) At the village level, village characteristics have a direct impact on the farmers’ willingness to participate in strategies. Village woodland area is positively correlated with strategies participation. In addition, village characteristics play a moderating role by influencing farmers’ sustainable livelihood capital. We conclude that different concurrent strategies and collective actions need to be considered in the design of PES programs, particularly in ecologically sensitive areas, which can enrich the theory of collective action and the connotation of PES. Full article

Horizontal/interregional eco-compensation is an important policy to promote regional ecological and environmental cooperation and realize sustainable development for river basins. To solve these problems, a horizontal compensation framework based on integrated water rights (IWRs) transaction has been established. Taking the Yellow River basin as an example, the IWRs scheme realizes sustainable development, to a certain extent, improving the current issues of shortages, the low utilization efficiency of water resources, and weak water environmental carrying capacity. Evidence for this improvement includes: (1) an increased revenue of USD 244.71; (2) the water use efficiency in the middle and upper streams (Qinghai, Gansu, Ningxia, Neimenggu, Shanxi) and the overall river basin being obviously improved (the maximum improvement value is 0.1273 m³/USD); (3) the overload situation of water resource carrying status being relieved in some subareas (Ningxia, Neimenggu, Henan, Shandong) and improved in the whole basin (from 0.6366 to 0.6124); (3) the water environmental carrying rate (COD and NH₄⁺-N) of the middle and upper streams (Qinghai, Gansu, Ningxia, Neimenggu, Shanxi) and the whole river basin obviously decreasing (with maximum decreasing values of 0.43 and 1.14, respectively). Full article