Medium- and Long-Term Planning of an Integrated Eco-Compensation System Considering Ecological Water Demand under Uncertainty: A Case Study of Daguhe Watershed in China

This study developed an ecological-water-demand-based interval chance-constrained system eco-compensation model (EW-ICCEC) for eco-compensation planning and ecological restoration. Interval chance-constrained programming, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool, ensurance of ecological water demand, and inexact modeling are integrated in a general framework for eco-compensation. The EW-ICCEC model was applied to a case of China's Daguhe watershed. Results show that the ecological-water-demand-based system eco-compensation mechanism can achieve maximum system benefits and minimum system loss in medium- and long-term eco-compensation planning. The contributions of the study include that (1) a systematic watershed ecological compensation model is established; and (2) the optimal mechanism and a scheme of the eco-compensation bill and land-use transformation are obtained for the planning of eco-compensation.