Changes in Ecosystem Services Value and Establishment of Watershed Ecological Compensation Standards

Xin Gao, Juqin Shen, Weijun He, Fuhua Sun, Zhaofang Zhang, Xin Zhang, Chengcai Zhang, Yang Kong, Min An, Liang Yuan and Xiaocang Xu
Additional contact information
Xin Gao: Business School, Hohai University, Nanjing 211100, China
Juqin Shen: Business School, Hohai University, Nanjing 211100, China
Weijun He: International Economic &Technical Cooperation and Exchange Center, Ministry of Water Resources, Beijing 100038, China
Fuhua Sun: Business School, Hohai University, Nanjing 211100, China
Zhaofang Zhang: Business School, Hohai University, Nanjing 211100, China
Xin Zhang: International Economic &Technical Cooperation and Exchange Center, Ministry of Water Resources, Beijing 100038, China
Chengcai Zhang: Business School, Hohai University, Nanjing 211100, China
Yang Kong: Business School, Hohai University, Nanjing 211100, China
Min An: College of Economics & Management, Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, China
Liang Yuan: College of Economics & Management, Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, China
Xiaocang Xu: Upper Yangtze river Economic Research Center/School of Economics, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing 400067, China

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 16, 1-30

Abstract: Ecological compensation standards and the allocation of compensation funds have always been the core issues of watershed ecological compensation. Due to the construction of the Eastern Route of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project (SNWTP), Jiangsu Province has paid a huge cost for the protection of water resources, and local economic development has been greatly affected. Therefore, this paper takes Jiangsu Province, the water source area of the Eastern Route of the SNWTP as an example, and combines a geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing technology, using the ecosystem services value method to calculate the ecosystem services value of Jiangsu Province from 2005 to 2018. Then the change of this ecosystem services value in Jiangsu Province from 2015 to 2018 is taken as the basis for watershed ecological compensation standards of the Eastern Route. Through a compensation fund allocation model, watershed ecological compensation funds are allocated to four cities, Yangzhou, Huai’an, Suqian and Xuzhou, which are located along the Eastern Route of this SNWTP in Jiangsu Province. The results show that: (1) The ecosystem services value of Jiangsu Province has changed greatly. Urbanization and market environment of grain crops are the main reasons for this change; (2) the relationship between ecosystem services in Jiangsu Province is mainly synergistic; (3) Suqian receives US$24.73 million; Huai’an receives US$16.49 million; Yangzhou receives US$54.88 million and Xuzhou receives US$0.95 million in watershed ecological compensation, respectively. Watershed ecological compensation standards based upon the value of ecosystem services, and the allocation of compensation funds at the municipal level, are conducive to the improvement in efficiency of watershed ecological compensation in mainland China.

Keywords: watershed ecological compensation; ecosystem services value; land-use; South-to-North Water Transfer Project; Eastern Route; GIS and remote sensing technology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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