Compensation for Agricultural Economic Losses Caused by Restoration of Healthy Eco-Hydrological Sequences of Rivers

• Main Authors: Bo Cheng, Huaien Li, Siyu Yue, Kang Huang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-06-01
• Series: Water
• Subjects: compensation; agricultural economics losses; ecological functions; the ecological base flow of rivers; healthy eco-hydrological sequences of rivers; Weihe River
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/11/6/1155

The rational allocation of ecological and economic water is a topic of high interest for water resource sciences. Taking into consideration the difficulties to maintain the basic ecologic functions of rivers, we propose a calculation model for compensation for agricultural economic losses by restoration of the healthy eco-hydrological sequences of rivers. Firstly, healthy eco-hydrological sequence of rivers was constructed by assessing the response relationship between hydrological processes and ecological functions of ecological base flow of rivers. Following, the ecological water shortage was analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. Finally, the compensation for agricultural economic losses caused by restoration of healthy eco-hydrological sequence of rivers was calculated. Taking the Baoji section of the Weihe River as a case study, compensation for agricultural economic losses caused by the recovery of the healthy eco-hydrological sequence of rivers were calculated and further analyzed. The results show that the current water diversion in the area of study is excessive and the ecological water shortage is relatively obvious. The compensation for agricultural economic losses caused by the recovery of healthy eco-hydrological sequence of rivers mainly focus on the non-flood season, which is up to 218 million yuan for 2009 year.