GAO Ting 1, 4, LI Chong 2, LIAO Wen-gen 3

1. National Research Center for Sustainable Hydropower Development, IWHR, Beijing 100038, China,
2. Department of Water Environment, IWHR, Beijing 100038, China,
3. General Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Planning and Design, Ministry of Water Resources, Beijing 100120, China,
4. China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, China

Abstract: "To develop mainstream and protect tributaries" is one of the ecological and environmental protection measures in hydropower development in recent years, which unifies the eco-environmental protection measures in accordance with the order of "avoidance, mitigation, compensation and reconstruction" in the basin and even national interests. The substance of tributary protection is to protect the aquatic life in the tributary habitat as compensation for the affected main stream habitat and balance the development and protection between mainstream and tributaries. As a compensatory protective measure, tributary protection must be feasible in eco-technology, be reasonable in economics and be acceptable to environment and public. A win-win of development and protection will be achieved when the tributary protection targets on the river ecosystem diversity, guaranteed by legislation and based on economical disbursement.

Key words: tributary protection, habitat substitution, ecological functions, economic costs, legal protection

Published in: Journal of China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research (Vol. 10 No. 4, 2012)