OUTLINE

Background Methodology

• The needs of efficient and effective • Environmental Vulnerability Index

methods of calculating the amount or (EVI)
value of ecological compensation (EC)
• Touristic Ecological Footprint (TEF)

• The mechanism of compensation been

an object of debate by governments,
enterpreneurs, and civil parties.
 Definition

Ecological Compensation:

Ecological compensation is an example of a trade-off

whereby loss of natural values is remedied or offset by
a corresponding compensatory action on the same site
or elsewhere, determined through the process of
assessment. (Brown, 2013)

Ecological compensation is
a positive conservation
action that is required to
counter-balance ecological
values lost in the context of
development or resource
use, and is an intentional
form of trade-off (Morrison-
Saunders & Pope 2013).

Figure 1. The distribution of different terms in Ecological

Compensation literature
 Ecological Compensation

Common action of compensation:

• Planting  habitat creation, restoration or enhancement

• Pest control, financial payments and the formal handover of tenure to an agency (vesting).

How to quantify the value?

Variabels:

1. Land use map

2. Location Permit and Management Permit Status
3. Damage level
4. Ecosystem services inventorisation table
5. Carrying capacity
 Environmental Vulnerability Index (EVI)
EVI EROSION
This index reflects the vulnerability to the
unchainment of impacts as the
intensification of erosive processes and
consequently the intensification of the
sedimentation of rivers.
It is composed by the average of the
vulnerability indexes relative to the slope
(EVI SLOPE), geology (EVI GEO) and
pedology (EVI PEDO), which will be
described hereinafter:
EVI HYDRO
This index reflects the vulnerability to
impacts on the hydrological resources,
as spilling of pollutant (accidental or
not), carrying of solid residues, among
others.
Minimum impact degree (EVI = 0 ID) is
given to areas where the distance up to
the closest river was longer than 1000
meters. The maximum impact degree
(EVI=1 ID) corresponds to areas where
this distance approached zero.
EVI BIO
This index reflects the vulnerability
to the unchainment of impacts
related to the biodiversity loss and
fragmentation of habitats. The
information was obtained from the
land cover map.
It is composed by the average of the
vulnerability indexes relative to the
area of the fragments of savannah
vegetation and seasonal forest,
shapes of the fragments and
distance between the fragments
 Environmental Vulnerability Index (EVI)
Final Environmental Vulnerability Index (EVI FINAL)
This function was applied in IDRISI, through the "image calculator" module, by generating a new image representing EVI FINAL.
Through geoprocessing, the polygon of the enterprise area in
the final map of environmental vulnerability was digitized, by
calculating the average of the values contained in the polygon.

A compensation scale was adopted in accordance with what

has been practiced now by the federal licensing environmental
authority. Because it is a dynamic methodology, such values can
be adapted according to the local reality, since obeying what it
is determined in the effective legal instruments.
 Touristic Ecological Footprint
• Touristic Ecological Footprint

Represents the area of biologically productive land needed by a certain area to

support certain activities and absorb the waste generated by these activities.

Entertainment

Food Visitation

Accomodation Shopping

Transportation
 Touristic Ecological Footprint
Touristic Ecological
Footprint Formula
Si  is the area needed / consumed
ri  equilibrium factor
Ri  utilization rate
Pj  average selling price
gi  annual average productivity of the local
biologically prodictive land
Hi  the area of the highway
Vi  the area of scenic view
Nj  number of tourist
Dj  travel distance
Cj  per-capita energy consumption per-unit
Ki  annual average occupancy
q  global average heat output
Rj  consumption expenditure
 Touristic Ecological Footprint

• Ecological Footprint

Refers to the area of biologically

productive land needed by local
residents for survival and
development (Zhang & Zhang,
2004).

• Biological Capacity

Represents total biologically ED = Ecological Defisit

productive area that the region can ES = Ecological Surplus
provide to human beings (Yang & Jia,
2015)
 Touristic Ecological Footprint

The income loss of residents returning

farmland to forests is the lower limit of
ecological compensation, which is the
minimum guarantee of residents’ income,
and values lower than this standard indicate
the deprivation of local residents' right to
profit. The formula is as follows 
 Touristic Ecological Footprint

• Determine the reasonable level of ecological compensation

Lastly, determine the reasonable level of ecological compensation. The development of tourism and the utilization
efficiency of local residents' natural resources are different.

The ETef is higher than the Eef because it decreases the EF of local residents. The functional value of eco-tourism increased
by returning farmland to forests cannot be completely achieved by the tourism industry. Therefore, a reasonable
compensation level can be determined for the difference between Etef and Eef. The formula is as follows:
 Touristic Ecological Footprint
Result:
The loss value of direct income of residents
was USD 2,791,900, and the minimum
standard amount of compensation for
residents per capita was USD 62.04.
The reasonable amount of compensation for
local residents in 2015 was USD 465.76.
The annual per capita net income of Tangyu
Town residents was USD 1100.
If compensation is implemented, the per
capita net income of Tangyu Town will be
USD 1560.76, which is 1.42 times the
original income.
This value is much higher than China’s
2015 poverty line of USD 453.17 and can
effectively improve the living conditions
of residents.
 Bibliography
H. Yu, W. Xie, L. Yang, A. Du, C.M.V. Almeida, Y. Wang, From payments for ecosystem services to eco-compensation: conceptual
change or paradigm shift?, Science of the Total Environment (2019

Saunders, D.A.; Hobbs, R.J. & Margules, C.R. (1991). Biological consequences of ecosystem fragmentation: a review. Conservation
Biology, 7: 18-32.

Torresan & Lorrendi. 2008. A methodological proposal for quantifying environmental compensation through the spatial analysis
of vulnerability indicators

Yang, Yi; Yao, Congxyu; Xu, Delo. 2019. Ecological Compensation Standards of National Scenic Spots in Western China: A case
study of Taibai Mountain. Journal of Tourism Management

Zhang, J., & Zhang, J. (2004). Touristic ecological footpirnt model and analysis of Huangshan city in 2002. ACTA GEOGRAPHICA
SINICA, 59, 763–771.

Zhang, J., Zhang, J., Liang, Y., Li, N., & Liu, Z. (2005). An analysis of touristic ecological footprint and eco-compensation of
Jiuzhaigou in 2002. JOURNAL of NATURAL Resources, 20, 735–744.

Zhang, Y., Zhang, P., & Zhang, Z. (2010). Disquisition of touristic ecological footprint and
sustainable development of LHASA. CHINA POPULATION, Resources AND Environment, 20, 154–159.