A Developed Framework for the Multi-District Ecological Compensation Standards Integrating Ecosystem Service Zoning in an Urban Area in China

Jia He, Yu Wan, Zhonglin Tang, Xiaodong Zhu and Chuanhao Wen
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Jia He: National Research Center for Upper Yangtze Economy, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing 400067, China
Yu Wan: School of River and Ocean Engineering, Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing 400074, China
Zhonglin Tang: National Research Center for Upper Yangtze Economy, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing 400067, China
Xiaodong Zhu: State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
Chuanhao Wen: School of Economics, Yunnan University, Yunnan 650500, China

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 18, 1-24

Abstract: Ecological compensation is an effective means to adjust relationships among stakeholders in order to conserve and/or sustainably use ecosystem services. The current ecological compensation standards (ECS) do not well reflect the differences in ecological, social, and economic development. Thus, we took a typical urbanization area (the Suzhou–Wuxi–Changzhou region) in China as an example, because of its prominent contradiction between rapid socio-economic development and fragile ecosystem. Combined with the ecological, economic, and social conditions, the methods of ecosystem service value (ESV) evaluation, cluster analysis, and scenario analysis were used to propose an optimized spatial zoning method and optimal development scenario. Then, the ECS by different zones were determined by using ESV assessment, cost-benefit analysis, and contingent valuation method. The results showed that (1) the regions were divided into two categories, with a total of four zones: ESV output areas (synergetic development zones (SDZ) and ecological conservation zones (ECZ)) and ESV input areas (ecological degradation zones (EDegZ) and economic development zones (EDevZ)); (2) among five scenarios, the best development mode in the future was the protection and development scenario, which was consistent with the existing planning; and (3) the ECS for the SDZ should be paid about 1.94 billion Yuan/year, the ECZ should be paid about 0.80 billion Yuan/year, the ECS for the EDegZ should pay about 2.20–2.25 million Yuan/year, and the EDevZ should pay about 0.06–7.33 million Yuan/year. By feasibility analysis, the ESV input areas were fully capable of inter-regional compensation, which could promote the effective purchase of ecological services. The developed evaluation framework of ECS in this study can accurately provide a scientific basis for the determination of ecological compensation regulations and policies in the future.

Keywords: ecological compensation standard; ecosystem service values zoning; willingness to pay; costs and benefits method; urban development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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