Provincial responsibilities and compensations in water pollutant transfers in China

Abstract

The equal and fair right to use water environmental capacity is the basic development right for regions who are with unadvanced economic or in vulnerable water environment in China. Clearly defining the responsibilities is the prerequisite to make a comprehensive knowledge of this right. This work collected emission data on 3 representative water pollutants (COD, total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP)) at provincial level, and utilized a multi-regional input-output model and data envelopment analysis to calculate the specific water pollution emission responsibilities as well as the corresponding environmental fees payable or compensation receivable. Pollutants generated related to products which were locally produced for local consumption represented the primary source of pollution emissions. The embodied transfer of COD due to inter-provincial trade amounted to 7.03 million tons, TN to 0.97 million tons, and TP to 99,300 tons. The transfer of water pollutants between less developed provinces constituted the largest proportion (∼40 %) of all pollutant transfers. The main provinces paying water pollution compensation were those economically developed eastern coastal regions, along with some economically underdeveloped provinces, while the receiving provinces were mostly located in central and western regions with a certain industrial base but underdeveloped economies. This study found that the structural transformation has occurred, which was no longer the past traditional pattern of embodied transfer of water pollutants. The pattern of inter-provincial and inter-industrial transfer were intricate, and the responsibility identification should be more prudent with focus on both objectiveness and fairness of development.