Integrated Assessment On Hydro-electricity To River Ecosystem Services And Human Well-being

Though the advantages and disadvantages of hydroelectricity have been arguing by the relative-experts all over the world for a long time, hydroelectricity plays a considerably important role in keeping China in a better economic state. So, the problems need be urgently resolved are how to assess the multiple influences of hydroelectricity development in a correct and integrated way and improve the occasion.There are some insufficiencies in the researches on the advantages and disadvantages of hydroelectricity development in our country. For example, some integrated assessment were much more done on some large dam like Sanxia Dam than small or ladder-like hydrostation; and economic values and ecological influences were much more considered than societal impacts; and more researches centered on hydrostation itself, few on relative-stakeholders and their well-being. So, in order to improve the study, take the Zagunao River– a typical region of hydroelectricity developing as the researching area and the"human well-being"as research center, make good use of some advaced ideas from World Commission on Dam(WCD)reports, Millennium Ecosystem Assessment(MA) reports and methods from ecology, economics, sociology etc for reference, assess the influences of hydostations from multi-temporal and multi-spatial scales in an integrated way.Fist, the thesis analyzes the drivers on the basin hydroelectricity development. Second, on the spatial scale of river ecosystem, taking ecosystem services as the major tool to link human behavior, natural ecosystem and human well-being, assesses the ecosystem services'value in low and plentiful water period respectively on the scenarios of with and without hydroelectricity development; meanwhile, points out the main stakeholders linking to those services and the time scales of those services. Third, on the spatial scale of river basin, making the best use of questionnaire results, assesses the influences to stakeholders'well-being of hydroelectricity development from economical, societal and ecological aspects respectively, at the same time, qualitatively analyzes the time scales and the intensity of the influences. Last, based on all results of the above assessments, concludes the main influences of hydroelectricity development and provides some scientific advices for hydroelectricity management in China.The main results are as below:(1) Rich water resource, steady interannual variability and ideal gradient of Zagunao River are the basic natural conditions for hydroelectricity development. However, the main artificial drivers are policy and economy. (2) In the scenario of with hydrostations, the values of ecosystem services of Zagunao River are: hydropower: 543 million Yuan/a; fresh water, 977 million Yuan/a; fresh fishes, 1.02 million Yuan/a; water cleaning value, 0.18 million Yuan/a; environmental benefit, 297.5 million Yuan/a; entertainment value, 0.9 million Yuan/a; and biodiversity value, 2 (in attributive valuation). In the scenario of without hydrostations, the values of the anterior six items of ecosystem services of Zagunao River are: 0, 977, 17.5, 16.1,-0.82, 2.8 million Yuan/a respectively and biodiversity value, 2 (in attributive valuation).The stakeholders like the government or the company which directly join the building, running and management etc of the hydrostations are the main benefit accepters; and the common people are the main victims.(3) As for the economic influences of hydrostations to the basin ecosystem, there are at least three kinds of people undergoing economic losses. First, people whose tilth were occupied permanently or temporarily will lose 1207yuan/a or so, take the Second Ladder hydrostation of Hongye for example. Second, people whose river-side tilth has conflict with near hydrostation in using water will lose 1167yuan/a, take the branch river- Suoluogou Rive as example.Third, people whose incomes mainly depend on local tourism will lose 131yuan/a, take the Miyaluo area as example.(4) As for the societal influences of hydrostations to the basin ecosystem, hydroelectricity development has brought considerable pressure to the local society. Because of lacking and/or wrong management, the local people became the main victim and have a sharpening conflict with managers.(5) As for the ecological influences of hydrostations to the basin ecosystem, many bad impacts are or will be brought to local people and also people in lower reaches of the river. Such as mountain disasters, etc.Synthesized all the assessing results in the thesis, the main final conclusions are: hydroelectricity development indeed brings huge economic and some environmental benefits, but all these benefits are at large prices; Hydroelectricity development is actually a process of benefits'redistribution, and the uneven redistribution of these benefits is the foundation stone of all series of problems.