Compensation for Environmental Services and Rural Communities: Lessons from the Americas

Authors

Herman Rosa, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Deborah Barry, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Susan Kandel, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Leopoldo Dimas, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Working Paper Number

96

Publication Date

2004

Comments

Working Paper 96

Abstract

In principle, payments for environmental services – such as watershed management, biodiversity conservation, and carbon sequestration – can advance the goals of both environmental protection and poverty reduction. A review of recent initiatives in the Americas suggests, however, that this desirable combination is not automatic. If payments for environmental services (PES) schemes are to be an effective vehicle for strengthening livelihoods in poor rural communities, they must be designed with that objective firmly in mind. This paper draws key lessons from diverse experiences in Costa Rica, Mexico, Brazil, El Salvador, and New York.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.7275/1281237