Ziyuan Kexue (Aug 2023)
Evaluation of the standards of subsidy and reward for grassland ecological protection: A case study of Shannan City
Abstract
[Objective] Grassland ecological protection subsidy and reward is an effective means to promote grassland ecological protection and help farmers and herders to increase their income, and the standards of subsidy and reward directly affect the effects of policy implementation. The Third Round Grassland Ecological Protection Subsidy and Reward Policy Implementation Program of the Tibet Autonomous Region (2021-2025) determined the subsidy and reward standards. This study aimed to assess its soundness, put forward some adjustment suggestions, provide a basis for the quality and efficiency improvement of the policy, grassland ecological protection, and enhancement of farmers and herders’ income, and develop a scientific assessment method for the improvement of grassland ecological protection subsidy and reward standard system in similar areas. [Methods] Taking Shannan City in Tibet Autonomous Region as an example and based on the analysis of the carrying capacity of grassland resources and the grass-livestock balance in 2016-2020, the opportunity cost method was used to estimate the subsidy and reward standards, and a comparative evaluation was made with the standards formulated in the third round of the policy to put forward the adjustment suggestions. [Results] The research results indicate that: (1) Grassland quality in Shannan City showed spatial heterogeneity. The overall quality of the grasslands is higher than the average level of that in Tibet, the theoretical carrying capacity in 2020 was 3.2125106 heads, the actual livestock number was 3.3875106 heads, and the overstocking number was 1.75105 heads; (2) In 2016-2020, the actual number of livestock in Shannan City decreased by 2%, and livestock numbers declined in six districts and counties. At present, Tsomei County, Gongga County, Jiacha County, Naidong District, Qusong County, and Sangri County are in the state of overstocking, Cuona County, Luozha County and Zhanang County are in the state of understocking, and the remaining three districts and counties are in the state of reasonable balance; (3) The livestock carrying capacity published in the government’s second round grassland subsidy and reward policy implementation program is largely consistent with the theoretical livestock carrying capacity measured in this study (except in Cuona, Luozha, and Jiacha Counties); (4) The third round policy formulation of the subsidy and reward standards is scientific and reasonable. This study suggested that the grassland-livestock balance reward standard and grazing forbidden subsidy standard should be 2.6 and 8.0 yuan/mu, respectively, higher than the government standards of 0.1 and 0.5 yuan/mu. [Conclusion] The third round grassland ecological protection subsidy and reward standards are relatively reasonable. Considering the principles and purposes of the subsidy and reward policy document, we recommend that the city should further increase the subsidy and reward standards, maintain reasonable distribution of ecological subsidy and reward according to the development level of the districts and counties to enhance farmers and herders’ income, and enhance the role of the policy incentives in the new round of ecological protection effort.
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