Impact of ecological compensation on herdsman’s social senses: a case ofYellow River Water Supply Area of Gannan

The environmental behaviors of herdsmen are influenced by their social senses. It is therefore necessary to assess theimpacts of ecological compensation on herdsman’s social senses during environmental improvement processes. The fuzzymulti-criteria analysis model was constructed to assess the changes in herdsman’s social senses brought about by ecological compensationin Yellow River Water Supply Area of Gannan. The study was based on a survey involving 124 herdsman households using theparticipatory rural appraisal (PRA) approach. Based on distribution area, all surveyed herdsman households were divided into threegroups — herdsman households from pure pasture area, herdsman households from planting/pasture area and households from agriculturalarea. The results showed that: (1) effect index of ecological compensation on legal awareness of herdsman was 3.53, indicatinga moderate positive effect. The proportion of herdsmen with legal awareness was only 41.13%, and it was higher in agriculturalarea than in planting/pasture and pure pasture areas. This suggested that legal awareness of herdsman needed further improvement. (2)Effect index of ecological compensation on supervisory awareness of herdsman was 4.02. This was a high positive effect. Because ofrelative higher education level, however, herdsmen in planting/pasture and agricultural areas were affected greater than in pure pasturearea. (3) Effect index of ecological compensation on environmental awareness of herdsman was 3.95. Because of increased concernof herdsman on environmental protection and environment processes, ecological compensation affected herdsman’s environmentalawareness profoundly, and no difference existed among the three areas. (4) Effect index of ecological compensation on participatoryawareness of herdsman was 3.94, and it was higher in planting/pasture and agricultural areas, owning to benefits broughtabout by ameliorative environment and preferential policy. On the average, ecological compensation importantly influenced herdsman’s social senses in Yellow River Water Supply Area of Gannan. Herdsmen in pure pasture area had a better sense of legal consciousness.However, herdsmen in planting/pasture and agricultural areas had a better sense of supervisory awareness and participatoryconsciousness.