An Assessment of the Rational Range of Eco-Compensation Standards: A Case Study in the Nujiang Prefecture, Southwestern China

Abstract

Eco-compensation is an effective means of coordinating ecological protection and economic development, and the assessment of its standards is core content in the study of eco-compensation projects. To improve the operability of eco-compensation standards, taking Nujiang Prefecture as the study area, we combine the equivalent factor method and water footprint method to evaluate the ecosystem-service-value (ESV) spillover and use the market comparison method to calculate the opportunity cost. The final eco-compensation upper and lower limits model is constructed on the basis of the ESV spillover and opportunity cost. The results show the following: (1) the ecological protection of Nujiang Prefecture has been effective, based on the stabilization of its ESV after an initial increase. The main types of ecosystem services provided are regulation and provision services. Gongshan County makes the most significant contribution to the total ESV. (2) The ratio of the ESV self-consumption in Nujiang Prefecture shows a trend of first rising and then falling. This is mainly explained through the reduction in the use of industrial and agricultural water. After deducting self-consumption through the water footprint method, it can be observed that there is ecological spillover in Nujiang Prefecture. (3) The opportunity cost in Nujiang Prefecture increases yearly from 2005 to 2020 owing to ecological protection policies. Combined with the ESV spillover, it is determined that the rational range of the eco-compensation standard is between CNY 6.17 × 102 million and 120.01 × 102 million in 2005, between CNY 10.02 × 102 million and 128.25 × 102 million in 2010, between CNY 30.34 × 102 million and 197.12 × 102 million in 2015, and between CNY 41.97 × 102 million and 227.52 × 102 million in 2020. The current study can offer decision makers a more flexible eco-compensation standard while coordinating the contradiction between regional ecological protection and economic development.

Characteristics and Risk Assessment of PAH Pollution in Soil of a Retired Coking Wastewater Treatment Plant in Taiyuan, Northern China

“…The level of soil contamination and possible risks associated with coking wastewater treatment plants was evaluated according to the PAHs pollution standard proposed by Maliszewska-Kordybach [ 22 ]. This standard is widely used to determine whether European soil is contaminated and to estimate the exposure levels of the population [ 23 , 24 ]. In this study, the PAH content in the soil samples from S5 ranged from 200 to 600 ng/g, which is classified as mild pollution.…”

The Role of Agroforestry in Poverty Alleviation: A Case Study from Nujiang Prefecture, Southwestern China

“…Nujiang Prefecture is located on the southwest border of China (Figure 1), which includes greatly impoverished areas and is the main battleground for poverty alleviation nationwide of the Aid-the-Poor Development Office of the State Council, China [52]. It has jurisdiction over one county-level city, one county, and two autonomous counties: Lushui City, Fugong County, Gongshan Dulong and Nu Autonomous County, and Lanping Bai and Pumi Autonomous County (Table 1).…”

Correction: Xiao et al. An Assessment of the Rational Range of Eco-Compensation Standards: A Case Study in the Nujiang Prefecture, Southwestern China. Land 2022, 11, 1417

“…In the original publication [1], the funder "A Project Funded by the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions" was not included. The authors state that the scientific conclusions are unaffected.…”