Conception and Scientific Foundation of State Special Eco-region
国家生态特区构想及其科学基础

This paper outlines for the first time the concept of state special eco-region. Ecologi- cal security is one of the most severe challenges facing China' s sustainable development in the 21st century. But, it is closely related with manifold factors such as poverty, regional development model and orientation, and simple ecological projects have not much effect owing to inherent shortcomings. Objectively, in West China there exist "three in one" areas with fragile ecology, underdeveloped economy, but outstanding position in national ecology or resources. They should get special policies, including sustained ecological compensation, concentrated investment instead of departmental investment, and integrated planning instead of department-based management. Regional development should be based on special region model and stepwise pattern toward ecological end. Establishment of state special eco-region in these areas accords with national strategies of ecological security, energy security, west development and poverty alleviation. This could facilitate optimizing combination of limited resources, forming ever-lasting mechanism for regional environmental construction and economic development, breaking the spiral of ecological deterioration and poverty, dissolving the sticky problem of ecological migration, getting rid of social unstable factors, undermining the hidden trouble of national ecological security, and finally, lying the ecological foundation for sustainable development of the country. The lower Jinsha river reaches, about 80,000 km2 covering administratively 30 counties (of which 22 are state-level poor counties) with an installed capacity of four planned hydropower stations more than twice that of the Three Gorges station, should be considered as the first state special eco-region.