Study on the Sustainability of Ecological Water Transfer and Rehabilitation Project Based on Participant Investigation

In the arid inland area of northwest China, the ecological water transfer and rehabilitation project (EWTRP) is an important measure to restore the deteriorated ecosystem. However, the sustainability of the project is affected by many socio-economic factors. This article examines local people´s attitudes, its impact on people´s livelihood and the positive effect of water-saving agriculture in the in the Ejina country. Related data were collected through a questionnaire survey and group discussions. The study results identified three critical issues that may influence the sustainability of the project in the study area. The first issue is related to the project´s impacts on local herdsmen´s´ livelihoods. Because ecological migrants´ livelihoods depend greatly on the compensation awarded by the project, the potential for the sustainability of the project is compromised. The second issue is that the project didn´t raise the water resources utilization ratio, which may undermine the final purpose. Lastly, the compensation of the project only considers the loss of agriculture, but neglects the externality and publicity of eco-water. Appropriate compensation mechanisms should be established and adapted according to local economic, environmental, and social conditions. Based on our study, some recommendations for improving the sustainability of the project are given.