Regional Ecological Compensation Approach And Application

As a new type of environmental resource management mechanism,ecological compensation plays an important role in promoting ecological environmental protection and safeguarding social equity.Since 1998,China has initiated nationwide ecological protection projects such as natural forest protection projects and the project of returning farmland to forests,among which the project of returning farmland to forests has had an important impact in the world.Since 2005,the central government has paid great attention to the issue of ecological compensation mechanisms every year: The Outline of the Eleventh Five-Year Plan for the People's Republic of China on National Economic and Social Development clearly puts forward the principle of “whoever develops and protects,and who benefits from compensation”.Accelerate the establishment of an ecological compensation mechanism;the State Council's "Decision on Implementing the Scientific Outlook on Development and Strengthening Environmental Protection" proposes that "central and local financial transfers should consider ecological compensation factors." In September 2015,the CPC Central Committee and the State Council issued the Overall Plan for the Reform of the Ecological Civilization System.Under the principle of “establishing green mountains and rivers as the concept of wealth,” the government explicitly proposed “to improve the ecological compensation mechanism.Explore the establishment of a diversity compensation mechanism.Gradually increase transfer payments to key ecological function areas,improve the incentive and constraint mechanisms linked to ecological protection effectiveness and fund allocation,formulate horizontal ecological compensation mechanisms,focus on local compensation,and provide financial support from the central government.The objectives and contents of compensation system construction have become increasingly clear,and the practice of ecological compensation in important ecological areas has become more in-depth.As the only municipality directly under the central government in the southwest,the economic center of the upper reaches of the Chang Jiang,and the central city of the country,Chongqing's importance in the national ecosystem has been highlighted by the Three Gorges Project.90% of the Three Gorges reservoir area is within the jurisdiction of Chongqing Municipality.As an important ecological function area in the upper reaches of the Chang Jiang,Chongqing City plays a crucial role in water conservation,soil and water conservation,biodiversity conservation,and water quality protection in the middle and lower reaches of the Chang Jiang.It has an important strategic role in safeguarding national ecological security.Against the background,this paper focus on the issue of regional ecological compensation,and the evaluation of ecological compensation standards and compensation quotas,furthermore,the paper pays more attention on the application of compensation standards and approach for calculating compensation quotas.Based on these issues,this paper will review the relevant research results at home and abroad,define the core concepts,and then introduce the classical theory borrowed from this study,then build a theoretical framework for regional ecological compensation and provide quantitative analysis for the following text.In the quantitative research section,the analysis of regional ecological compensation issues was conducted from two levels.Firstly,based on the data of Qianjiang,the Minimum-Data method was used to measure the opportunity cost and ecological effect of returning farmland to forests,and a preliminary assessment was made on the current national compensation standards for returning farmland to forests,and related supplementary policies(including the previous round of conversion)were analyzed.The implementation results of the deferred subsidy policy for forestry and the new round of the resumption of restrictions on the proportion of ecological forests in returning farmland to forests provide the basis for further improving the policy of returning farmland to forests.Then,within the scope of the whole city of Chongqing,the ecological footprint analysis method was used to quantify the ecological surplus(ecological deficits)of all districts and counties,providing a basis for the improvement of transregional ecological compensation systems.Through the research,the following results are obtained:(1)The compensation price in the first stage of the retreat returning farmland to forest project in the Qianjiang is relatively low,and the slope land above 25 degrees accounts for about half of the total cultivated land.All voluntarily returning farmland to forests,the compensation price should be increased to approximately 5.25 times the original standard.(2)Most of the main urban areas within the one-hour economic circle of Chongqing are in an ecological deficit state,and ecological compensation is needed for the counties and counties that have ecological surplus in the two wings of northeastern and southeastern.8 districts have Strong economic strength,ecological deficit also occupies a large share,so they should pay a higher amount of ecological compensation.(3)Except for Wanzhou,the two wing regions of Chongqing are in an ecological surplus state.The ecological surpluses in the southeastern should receive higher ecological compensation.(4)According to the above research conclusions,the paper puts forward corresponding policy recommendations,including further improving the compensation policy for returning farmland to forests,increasing the types of ecological compensation public welfare jobs,and increasing the support of regional industries,etc.This will provide a realistic reference for improving the ecological compensation system.