Hybrid Agricultural Compensation Mechanism for Protection of Ecological Flow in Rivers in Water-Scarce Areas of Northwest China

Although blood transfusion eco-compensation—a metaphorical term in the Chinese eco-compensation literature referring to short-term direct compensation—can balance stakeholder interests in securing ecological flows (e-flows) in water-scarce rivers, it often fails to enhance the productivity of disadvantaged stakeholders or expand long-term development opportunities. To overcome this limitation, this study introduces hematopoiesis eco-compensation, a metaphorical term for capacity-building, longer-term development-oriented compensation that improves irrigation water-use efficiency and agricultural productivity through water-saving infrastructure upgrades, enhanced irrigation technologies, and technical training. Based on this distinction, we developed a hybrid eco-compensation mechanism integrating the two approaches using a cost–expenditure method and applied it to the mainstream section of the Weihe River and the Baojixia Yuanshang Irrigation District in Northwest China under typical hydrological conditions. The main findings are as follows: (1) Compensation standards for both approaches increase with higher ecological flow targets, with average values of 2762 CNY ha−1 and 1386 CNY ha−1, respectively. (2) The two approaches differ in terms of participants, standards, and implementation methods, yet they are complementary and indispensable under current conditions. (3) Hematopoiesis eco-compensation generates positive ecological and economic effects, increasing the annual value of riverine ecosystem services by approximately 126 million CNY and the annual economic benefits of the irrigation district by approximately 467 million CNY. This study provides a theoretical foundation and practical guidance for establishing long-term compensation mechanisms to maintain ecological flows in water-scarce regions.