Coordinated service provision in payment for ecosystem service schemes through adaptive governance

Abstract

In this paper, we look to the adaptive governance literature for insight into how payment schemes for the provision of ecosystem services might be designed to achieve multiple socially desirable objectives over different spatial scales instead of simply focusing on localised benefits for service providers. Using the principles of adaptive governance, we explore how the concepts of lateral information flows and incentive alignment might shape ecosystem service payment schemes and allow the coordination of ecosystem service priorities across different jurisdictions. We suggest that progressing from purely anthropocentric assessments of payment schemes towards biocentric evaluations may lead to improved design principles. We discuss specific advantages of adaptive governance approaches over traditional centralised governance models related to policy-experimentation at multiple spatial scales, institutional variety and deliberative decision-making processes that establish dialogue between service providers and beneficiaries that promote group learning.