{"title":"Collaborative models and uncertain water quality in payments for watershed services: China’s Jiuzhou River eco-compensation","authors":"Jichuan Sheng , Hongqiang Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoser.2024.101671","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As Payments for Watershed Services (PWS) schemes are widely implemented around the world, determining downstream payment rates based on expected water quality is critical to designing efficient PWS schemes. Combined with a case study of the Jiuzhou River Horizontal Eco-compensation (JRBHE) in China, this study builds a stochastic differential game model of PWS considering water quality uncertainty. Using this model, this study explores how water quality uncertainty affects the decision-making of watershed protection behaviors of various stakeholders in PWS. In comparing changes in stakeholder watershed protection behaviors in multiple JRBHE scenarios, this study argues that the collaborative eco-compensation model in the PWS can achieve social optimality as it can coordinate multi-stakeholder goals regarding watershed services and water quality. In addition, this study also emphasizes that the collaborative eco-compensation model is riskier than the existing horizontal eco-compensation model due to water quality uncertainty, and penalties aimed at reducing risk are often necessary for the collaborative eco-compensation model. Finally, this study highlights that designing incentive-compatible PWS schemes remains challenging because both water quality uncertainty and stakeholders’ risk preferences influence their ultimate watershed protection behavior.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51312,"journal":{"name":"Ecosystem Services","volume":"70 ","pages":"Article 101671"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1000,"publicationDate":"2024-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Ecosystem Services","FirstCategoryId":"93","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212041624000780","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ECOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
As Payments for Watershed Services (PWS) schemes are widely implemented around the world, determining downstream payment rates based on expected water quality is critical to designing efficient PWS schemes. Combined with a case study of the Jiuzhou River Horizontal Eco-compensation (JRBHE) in China, this study builds a stochastic differential game model of PWS considering water quality uncertainty. Using this model, this study explores how water quality uncertainty affects the decision-making of watershed protection behaviors of various stakeholders in PWS. In comparing changes in stakeholder watershed protection behaviors in multiple JRBHE scenarios, this study argues that the collaborative eco-compensation model in the PWS can achieve social optimality as it can coordinate multi-stakeholder goals regarding watershed services and water quality. In addition, this study also emphasizes that the collaborative eco-compensation model is riskier than the existing horizontal eco-compensation model due to water quality uncertainty, and penalties aimed at reducing risk are often necessary for the collaborative eco-compensation model. Finally, this study highlights that designing incentive-compatible PWS schemes remains challenging because both water quality uncertainty and stakeholders’ risk preferences influence their ultimate watershed protection behavior.
期刊介绍:
Ecosystem Services is an international, interdisciplinary journal that is associated with the Ecosystem Services Partnership (ESP). The journal is dedicated to exploring the science, policy, and practice related to ecosystem services, which are the various ways in which ecosystems contribute to human well-being, both directly and indirectly.
Ecosystem Services contributes to the broader goal of ensuring that the benefits of ecosystems are recognized, valued, and sustainably managed for the well-being of current and future generations. The journal serves as a platform for scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and other stakeholders to share their findings and insights, fostering collaboration and innovation in the field of ecosystem services.