Driving forces behind the construction of an eco-compensation mechanism for wetlands in China

Abstract

This research revealed important driving forces behind the construction of an eco-compensation mechanism for wetlands (DFEMW) in China. Using China’s provincial panel data from 1978 to 2008, a fixed-effects model was used to analyze the impacts of agricultural production systems on wetlands. We identified three DFEMW as follows: the change of wetland resources and protection measures in China; declaration and implementation of the provincial Wetland Protection Ordinance; and wetland degradation by agricultural production systems, which necessitated the establishment of a wetland eco-compensation mechanism. In addition to the DFEMW, a significant positive correlation between wetland area and both rural population and gross agricultural production was identified, in addition to a negative correlation with chemical fertilizer usage, reservoir storage capacity, and irrigation area. The underlying reasons for the serious degradation and inadequate protection of wetlands were market failure and government failure; these were the driving forces behind the need to establish a wetland eco-compensation mechanism. From a governmental perspective, it has been difficult to rectify market failures in resource distribution and thus to prevent wetland degradation. Factors include conflicts of interest, lack of investment, effective special laws, a simple means to protect wetlands, and a multidisciplinary management system. Therefore, the key factor is the coordination of interest relationships between those who utilize wetlands and those who seek to minimize wetland degradation and effectively protect wetlands.

Keywords

China / driving forces / eco-compensation / socio-economic factors / wetlands

References

[1] Albrecht M, Schmid B, Obrist M K, Schüpbach B, Kleijn D, Duelli P (2010). Effects of ecological compensation meadows on arthropod diversity in adjacent intensively managed grassland. Biol Conserv, 143(3): 642–649

[2] Ambastha K, Hussain S A, Badola R (2007). Social and economic considerations in conserving wetlands of indo-gangetic plains: a case study of Kabartal wetland, India. Environmentalist, 27(2): 261–273

[3] An S, Li H, Guan B, Zhou C, Wang Z, Deng Z, Zhi Y, Liu Y, Xu C, Fang S, Jiang J, Li H (2007). China’s natural wetlands—Past problems, current status, and future challenges. Ambio, 36(4): 335–342

[4] Austen E, Hanson A (2008). Identifying wetland compensation principles and mechanisms for Atlantic Canada using a Delphi Approach. Wetlands, 28(3): 640–655

[5] Chen G Q, Shao L, Chen M, Li Z, Zhang B, Chen H, Wu Z (2011a). Low-carbon assessment for ecological wastewater treatment by a constructed wetland in Beijing. Ecol Eng, 37(4): 622–628

[6] Chen Z M, Chen B, Chen G Q (2011b). Cosmic exergy based ecological assessment for a wetland in Beijing. Ecol Modell, 222(2): 322–329

[7] Costanza R, d’Arge R, de Groot R, Farber S, Grasso M, Hannon B, Limburg K, Naeem S,O’Neill R V, Paruelo J, Raskin R G, Sutton P, van den Belt M (1997). The value of the world’s ecosystem services and natural capital. Nature, 387(6630): 253–260

[8] Cowell R (1997). Stretching the limits: environmental compensation, habitat creation and sustainable development. Trans Inst Br Geogr, 22(3): 292–306

[9] Cuperus R, Bakermans M, Udo De Haes H, Canters K J (2001). Ecological compensation in dutch highway planning. Environ Manage, 27(1): 75–89

[10] Finlayson M, Cruz R D, Davidson N (2005). Millennium Ecosystem Assessment: Ecosystems and Human well-leing: Inland Water Systems. Washington: World Resources Institute

[11] Gong P, Niu Z G, Cheng X, Zhao K Y, Zhou D M, Guo J H, Liang L, Wang X F, Li D D, Huang H B, Wang Y, Wang K,Li W N, Wang X W, Ying Q, Yang Z Z, Ye Y F, Li Z , Zhuang D F, Chi Y B, Zhou H Z, YanJ J (2010). China’s wetland change (1990−2000) determined by remote sensing. Science China-Earth Sciences, 53 (1): 1–7

[12] Han M, Cui J L, Hao Z, Wang Y , Wang R Q (2012). Eco-compensation of wetlands in Yellow River Delta of Shandong province, China. Chin Geogr Sci, 22(1): 119–126

[13] Herzog F, Dreier S, Hofer G, Marfurt C, Schüpbach B, Spiess M, Walter T (2005). Effect of ecological compensation areas on floristic and breeding bird diversity in Swiss agricultural landscapes. Agric Ecosyst Environ, 108(3): 189–204

[14] Jin Y, Huang J P, Peng D L (2009). A new quantitative model of ecological compensation based on ecosystem capital in Zhejiang Province, China. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B, 10(4): 301–305

[15] Junge X, Lindemann-Matthies P, Hunziker M, Schüpbach B (2011). Aesthetic preferences of non-farmers and farmers for different land-use types and proportions of ecological compensation areas in the Swiss lowlands. Biol Conserv, 144(5): 1430–1440

[16] Li X L, Yang X S, Gao Q, Li Y, Dong S (2009). Integrative assessment of hydrological, ecological, and economic systems for water resources management at river basin scale. Front Earth Sci, 3(2): 198–207

[17] Maconachie R, Dixon A B, Wood A (2009). Decentralization and local institutional arrangements for wetland management in Ethiopia and Sierra Leone. Applied Geography, 29(2): 269–279

[18] Ministry of Environmental Protection of the People’s Republic of China (2008). List of National Nature Reserve. Beijing: China Environmental Science Press (in Chinese)

[19] Ministry of Environmental Protection of the People’s Republic of China (2012). List of National Nature Reserve.

[20] Niu Z G, Zhang H Y, Gong P (2011). More protection for China’s wetlands. Nature, 471(7338): 305

[21] Niu Z G, Zhang H Y, Wang X W, Yao W B, Zhou D M, Zhao K Y, <?Pub Caret1?>Zhao H, Li N N, Huang H B, Li C C, Yang J, Liu C X, Liu S, Wang L, Li Z, Yang Z Z, Qiao F, Zheng Y M, Chen Y L, Sheng Y W, Gao X H, Zhu W H, Wang W Q, Wang H, Weng Y L, Zhuang D F, Liu J Y, Luo Z C, Cheng X, Guo Z Q, Gong P (2012). Mapping wetland changes in China between 1978 and 2008. Chin Sci Bull, 57(22): 2813–2823

[22] Rubec C D A, Hanson A R (2009). Wetland mitigation and compensation: Canadian experience. Wetlands Ecol Manage, 17(1): 3–14

[23] Shao L, Wu Z, Zeng L, Chen Z M, Zhou Y, Chen G Q (2013). Embodied energy assessment for ecological wastewater treatment by a constructed wetland. Ecol Modell, 252: 63–71

[24] Sharma B, Rasul G, Chettri N (2015). The economic value of wetland ecosystem services: evidence from the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Nepal. Ecosystem Services, 12(2): 84–93

[25] State Forestry Bureau (2000). Plans of China’s Wetlands Conservation. Beijing: China Forestry Press (in Chinese)

[26] State Forestry Bureau (2003). Research on the Policy of Chinese Nature Reserves. Beijing: China Forestry Press (in Chinese)

[27] State Forestry Bureau (2009). China Forestry Statistical Yearbook. Beijing: China Forestry Press (in Chinese)

[28] State Forestry Bureau (2014). The survey results of second national wetland resources.

[29] Uchida E, Rozelle S, Xu J T (2009). Conservation payments, liquidity constraints and off-farm labor: impact of the grain for green program on rural households in China. Am J Agric Econ, 91(1): 70–86

[30] Villarroya A, Puig J (2010). Ecological compensation and environmental impact assessment in Spain. Environ Impact Assess Rev, 30(6): 357–362

[31] Wang Z M, Wu J G, Madden M, Mao D (2012). China’s wetlands: conservation plans and policy impacts. Ambio, 41(7): 782–786

[32] Wen W J, Xu G, Wang X J (2011). Spatial transferring of ecosystem services and property rights allocation of ecological compensation. Front Earth Sci, 5(3): 280–287

[33] Wilding S, Raemaekers J (2000). Environmental compensation for greenfield development: is the devil in the detail? Plann Pract Res, 15(3): 211–231

[34] Xiong Y, Wang K L (2010). Eco-compensation effects of the wetland recovery in Dongting Lake area. J Geogr Sci, 20(3): 389–405

[35] Zhao Y L, Li X B, Xin L J, Hao H G (2012). Geographic concentration and driving forces of agricultural land use in China. Front Earth Sci, 6(1): 48–56

[36] Zhu L, Chen Y, Gong H L, Jiang W G, Zhao W J, Xiao Y F (2011). Economic value evaluation of wetland service in Yeyahu Wetland Nature Reserve, Beijing. Chin Geogr Sci, 21(6): 744–752

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg