Quantitative evaluation of China's basin ecological compensation policies based on the PMC index model

Policy evaluation is the premise of the scientific formulation and effective implementation of a basin ecological compensation policy. However, whether the formulation of the basin ecological compensation policy (BECP) is reasonable or not lacks theoretical and technical support. This study constructed a model based on the PMC and text mining methods. PMC index model enables decision-makers to determine the level of consistency and the strengths and weaknesses of any policy from multiple angles and makes the evaluation results more targeted and operable. By establishing an evaluation system for BECP and building a multi-input-output table, the score of each policy is calculated. Based on this, the rationality of nine ecological compensation policies in the Yangtze and Yellow River basins was then examined. The results show that the average value of the PMC index for the nine policies is 7.23, which indicate the formulation of the basin ecological compensation policy in China is generally reasonable. Ranking of policy scores from high to low is P2 > P1 > P5 > P7 > P3 > P4 > P6 > P9 > P8. However, deficiencies exist in policy timeliness, incentive measures, and policy receptors. In addition, there is a large gap in the formulation of policies at different levels. Moreover, the level of local policies is uneven.