Study on Trans-Boundary Water Quality and Quantity Ecological Compensation Standard: A Case of the Bahao Bridge Section in Yongding River, China

• Main Authors: Yizhuo Wang, Rongjin Yang, Xiuhong Li, Le Zhang, Weiguo Liu, Yi Zhang, Yunzhi Liu, Qiang Liu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-05-01
• Series: Water
• Subjects: ecological compensation; ecological compensation standard; payment for ecosystem services (PES); Yongding River
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/11/1488

Watershed ecological compensation, as an important means to protect the environment and promote the sustainable and coordinated development of upstream and downstream has wide concern in China. At present, the compensation accounting method only assesses water quality. When applied to some northern rivers represented by the Yongding River, which are facing water shortage, the assessment of water quality indicators alone cannot effectively compensate the ecosystem service providers for their expenditure on the environment. This paper proposes a transboundary water quality and quantity ecological compensation standard model, which couples the water quality ecological compensation standard of pollutant reduction and the water quantity ecological compensation standard based on the restoration cost method. We set up two scenarios using the model to calculate the amount of compensation payable under the actual scenario in 2018, which is USD 68.2 million. The amount of compensation under the local environmental policy target scenario is USD 10.6–82.668–529 million. It was concluded that the funds obtained from this model can cover the rehabilitation cost and meet the benefits of the upstream and downstream, making compensation funds more reasonable. However, based on the cross-sectional assessment, there is still a lack of integrity and comprehensiveness for the river basin. The development of watershed ecological compensation should move from the game of upstream and downstream interests to a win–win situation.