Horizontal ecological compensation for ecosystem services in Chishui River Basin

Horizontal ecological compensation serves as a pivotal safeguard for ensuring equitable access to survival, environmental, and developmental rights across diverse regions. It is also a crucial approach for fostering inter-regional harmony, balance, and sustainable progress. This study zeroed in on the Chishui River Basin, aiming to scientifically quantify the ecological compensation amount based on the ecosystem services' value. We further established a horizontal ecological compensation mechanism that encompassed the government, enterprises, and other stakeholders through the identification of both compensated and paying regions. The key findings were: (1) The upstream and western bank areas of the Chishui River Basin constitute the compensated regions, covering 54.8% of the basin's total area. Conversely, the downstream and eastern bank regions, being beneficiaries of ecological protection, represent the paying regions, accounting for 21.3% of the total area. (2) The theoretical compensation amount for the Chishui River Basin in 2021 stood at 7.72 billion yuan. Renhuai city, Huichuan district, Qixingguan district and Bozhou district bored respectively 58.1%, 19.4%, 17.7% and 4.8% of the compensation amount according to the proportion of water consumption. (3) Under the government's guidance, a water fund model tailored to the Chishui River Basin, integrating government and enterprise compensation, had been formulated. This model fostered a collaborative mechanism among multiple stakeholders, promoting the coordinated and equitable development of the watershed through incentives for ecological protection, the development of eco-industries, and the provision of ecological institutions.