Study On Ecological Compensation Mechanism For Controlling Agricultural Non-point Source Pollution

Since the reform and opening policy took place in China, agriculture has achieved rapid development, but this development is based on high input of production factors such as fertilizer, pesticide, feeds and so on. These production factors partly entered into the process of crop production and were finally consumed by human, or entered into the process of livestock and poultry breeding. However, most of them stayed in the soil or flowed into waters and led to the eutrophication, which could bring about Agricultural Non-Point Source Pollution (ANPSP). Therefore, how to control the ANPSP has become a pressing issue.The forming of the ANPSP is based on Externality theory and Environmental Property Rights theory. The ANPSP has the typical characteristic of negative-externality, which will make it more and more serious. The approaches of controlling the ANPSP have the typical characteristic of positive-externality, which will cause it supply insufficiently. The environmental property rights can not be clearly defined is also an important reason why the ANPSP can not be effectively solved.To search for the approaches of controlling ANPSP, we must understand its characteristics. Scattered, random and the high cost to monitor are the typical characteristics of the ANPSP. These three characteristics together determine that the sewage charges can not effectively control the ANPSP, while the subsidy is an effective approach to control ANPSP. The successful implementation of the subsidy needs us to build the ecological compensation mechanism, which contain defining compensation subject, accounting standards and selecting compensation manner.In this paper, we select an approach of controlling the ANPSP such as building heap bogs to prevent the loss of livestock breeding waste, then to do an empirical study on the ecological compensation mechanism in Erhai Lake Basin. In accordance with the"the Beneficiaries should compensate the Victims"principle, the Government, as the representative of the public, should be the subject of compensation, while the farmers, who accept the approach of controlling the ANPSP, should be the object of compensation. Then we carry on a questionnaire survey to farmers and find out their environmental awareness and willingness to accept the compensation. Through the analysis of survey data obtained, we conclude that the reasonable compensation standard when a farmer builds a heap bog is 483 RMB."breeding scale"and"education"are the main factors which affect farmers'compensation decision-making. The farmers unwilling to accept compensation mainly due to small-scale breeding or fear of compensation funds can't be paid fully in time. Consequently, we should select the appropriate compensation manners according to the farmers'willingness.Finally, we draw the conclusions in this paper, and put forward the propositions for guaranteeing the successful implementation of ecological compensation mechanism.