Payments For Ecosystem Services Research Articles

Transformando territórios periurbanos por redes de pagamento por serviços ambientais no Sul do Brasil

Abstract The importance of institutional arrangements for nature conservation, like Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) is recognized in the literature but needs more empirical exploration in peri-urban contexts where power imbalances play out more strongly due to urbanization drivers. We documented the actor configurations in the peri-urban environment of a watershed PES in Curitiba and conducted a Social Network Analysis (SNA) to enhance our analysis with a power layer. The analysis points to access advantages of powerful urban stakeholders to promote the commoditization of nature through PES, lacking stakeholder engagement which amplifies inequalities in peri-urban territories. In Brazil’s current political scenario the neglect of environmental institutions shows increasing effects on conservation. We point out potential for participation of more diverse actors and the integration of institutions to benefit the PES arrangement in terms of ecosystem flows and social equity.

Understanding the payment for ecosystem services and associated challenges: Global practices and recommendation for Nepal

The payment of ecosystem services (PES) helps to preserve the natural environment and enhance the livelihood of the local people. There is always the fear of the long-term availability of the ecosystem services provided to the locals. There is an uneven distribution of the benefits received by the countries for protecting the natural environment. This study was based on the secondary literature review to explore the global benefits and challenges associated with the payment for ecosystem services, focusing more on the South Asian context. The outcomes were analyzed along with the benefits and challenges received for preserving the ecosystem by Nepal. PES programs have upgraded the livelihoods of local people, decreased energy demand, increased forest coverage, and helped decrease greenhouse emissions. PES has contributed to livelihood sustainability and economic development through forest management programs. There is more potential for Nepal to provide additional services to tourists and to generate additional resources against ecosystem services. There is an urgent need for collaboration among central, provincial, and local governments in Nepal to implement PES more effectively.

Circular economy and payment for ecosystem services: A framework proposal based on water reuse

Water scarcity forces the use of non-conventional water sources, to satisfy water demand, such as the effluent of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Water reuse helps to close the urban water cycle and reduce pressure on available water resources, providing a bases for circular economy in the water sector. Under an ecosystem services (ES) point of view, if water reuse is considered the best management option in water scarcity areas, WWTPs are responsible for the ES of provisioning. One of the main requirements for the ES of provisioning is to guarantee the reclaimed water quality due to this water being discharged back into the ecosystem. Hence why removing pollutants, such as pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs), is necessary to reduce the environmental impact of reused water. Considering the lack of legislation about PPCPs in effluents, this study proposes the use of the Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) approach as an innovative solution to provide reclaimed water without PPCPs considering both the environmental and institutional context and the importance of WWTPs as non-conventional water sources. This study contributes to consider the PES as a water cycle management tool and its suitability to be used to remove PPCPs is highlighted, with the purpose of promoting water reuse in water scarcity areas under circular economy approach.

PLACE OF ECOSYSTEM PAYMENTS IN THE STRUCTURE OF ECONOMIC MECHANISM OF NATURAL RESOURCES USE

Development and implementation of the ecosystem payments conception into the academician framework aims to promote and applicate ecosystem approach into the natural resources management and provide their rational use and biodiversity’s conservation. In the paper the author defines ecosystem payments, substantiates their importance, place and role for the current economic mechanism of environmental policy in Ukraine. She proves further transformation of the mechanism should follow introduction of the ecosystem approach, application of relevant tools and support to agencies facilitating ecosystem payments. Ecosystem payments as an instrument of the economic mechanism of nature management comprise all payments concurrent with the ecosystem approach framework. The payments have been designed to protect and preserve ecosystems, provide rational use of their resources and increase their capacity. The payments include fees for use of ecosystem resources and services, subsidies for the non-use, and costs necessary to restore contaminated or depleted ecosystems. Consequently, ecosystem payments are either obligatory (taxes for use of ecosystem resources, their contamination, exhaustion or degradation), or compensatory (reimbursement for use of ecosystems, subsidies for the non-use, and grants for introduction of better practices), or voluntary (for ecosystem services). Payments for ecosystem services assume an agreement between a user and a supplier should be assigned, a supplier owns the services or has the right to supply them, the market of ecosystem services operates, and methods to estimate the value of ecosystem services is approved. In Ukraine economic mechanism of the nature management is based on the user pay principle and several instruments of financing environmental programs. So the identification of ecosystem payments with payments for ecosystem services considerably cuts down benefits from introduction of the ecosystem approach into the nature management. Further supplement of the nature management mechanism with ecosystem payments requires administrative, regulatory, financial, information and analytical tools, which should be appropriately modified and being well compatible.

Multi-taxon inventory and landscape characterization in an agrosystem of the Brazilian Midwest targeted for payment for environmental services

Abstract: The replacement of natural landscapes by anthropic environments has led to habitat loss and consequently, to the decline and extinction of many species populations. Several strategies, such as the creation of protected areas (PAs) and payment for ecosystem services have been adopted to mitigate the consequences of this biodiversity crisis. In Rio Verde, Goiás, Brazil, a Water Producer Program (WPP) was established, which provides payment for ecosystem services for the maintenance of riparian vegetation in the region of the Ribeirão Abóbora, a river which supplies the city and metropolitan area. In the absence of environmental diagnostic studies in the region, this present study contributes to reducing some knowledge gaps, through the: (i) characterization of the landscape in the WPP area, (ii) characterization of species of fauna (amphibians, birds, fish, and medium and large terrestrial mammals) and woody flora that occur in this area, and (iii) comparison of species diversity (fauna and flora) found in our study area with the diversity observed in the Cerrado protected area network. Our results reveal a low native vegetation cover (~21% of total area), but we recorded 300 total species: 20 species of anuran amphibians, 100 birds, 10 fish, 16 terrestrial mammals (medium and large), and 154 woody plants. Our sample comprises species considered endemic to the Cerrado (e.g., Anuran - Barycholos terntezi and Mammal - Callithrix penicillata), threatened species (e.g., Mammals - Herpailurus yagouaroundi, Myrmecophaga tridactyla and Tapirus terrestris), and exotic invasive species (Mammal - Sus scrofa). The results presented in this study are relevant and may help in the proposal of management actions within the scope of this important program of payment for environmental services.

Who Benefits from Payments for Ecosystem Services? Policy Lessons from a Forest Carbon Sink Program in China

Who Benefits from Payments for Ecosystem Services? Policy Lessons from a Forest Carbon Sink Program in China

Who Benefits from Payments for Ecosystem Services? Evidence from a Forest Carbon Sink Program in China

Who Benefits from Payments for Ecosystem Services? Evidence from a Forest Carbon Sink Program in China

Choosing Strategic Areas for Payment for Water Regulation Ecosystem Service: A Multicriteria Analytic Network Approach

Choosing Strategic Areas for Payment for Water Regulation Ecosystem Service: A Multicriteria Analytic Network Approach

Connectivity conservation at the crossroads: protected areas versus payments for ecosystem services in conserving connectivity for Colombian carnivores.

Protected areas (PAs) constitute one of the main tools for global landscape conservation. Recently, payments for environmental services (PES) have attracted interest from national and regional governments and are becoming one of the leading conservation policy instruments in tropical countries. However, the degree to which areas designated for PES overlap with areas that are critical for maintaining species' landscape connectivity is rarely evaluated. We estimated habitat distributions and connectivity for 16 of the 22 mammalian carnivores occurring in the Caribbean region of Colombia, and identified the overlap between existing PAs and areas identified as being important for connectivity for these species. We also evaluated the potential impact of creation of new PAs versus new PES areas on conserving connectivity for carnivores. Our results show that PAs cover only a minor percentage of the total area that is important for maintaining connectivity (). On the other hand, PES, if implemented extensively, could contribute substantially to mammalian carnivores’ connectivity (). However, in a more realistic scenario with limited conservation investment in which fewer areas are set aside, a strategy based on implementing new PAs seems superior to PES. We argue that prioritizing designation of new PAs will be the most efficient means through which to maintain connectivity.

Money (Not) to Burn: Payments for Ecosystem Services to Reduce Crop Residue Burning

Money (Not) to Burn: Payments for Ecosystem Services to Reduce Crop Residue Burning

The Inherent Trade-Off between the Environmental and Anti-Poverty Goals of Payments for Ecosystem Services

The Inherent Trade-Off between the Environmental and Anti-Poverty Goals of Payments for Ecosystem Services

Heterogeneity Impacts of Farmers’ Participation in Payment for Ecosystem Services Based on the Collective Action Framework

Heterogeneity Impacts of Farmers’ Participation in Payment for Ecosystem Services Based on the Collective Action Framework

Integrating Future Grassland Degradation Risk to Improve the Spatial Targeting Efficiency of Payment for Ecosystem Services

Integrating Future Grassland Degradation Risk to Improve the Spatial Targeting Efficiency of Payment for Ecosystem Services

京津冀地区水源涵养价值流动分析及生态补偿额度

京津冀地区水源涵养价值流动分析及生态补偿额度

POTENTIAL OF MELIA AZEDARACH L. AS LIVESTOCK FODDER CROP

The livestock sector plays an important role in India in terms of ensuring food security and a source of income. Availability of nutritive fodder round the year is a big constraint in India, particularly in Jharkhand which accounts for the low productivity of livestock sector. Agroforestry with fodder trees and browse species has been practiced for a long time here. Melia azedarach is a remarkable fodder tree species with its high nutritional fodder value and good biomass production which needs popularisation among farmers and for payment of ecosystem services. The present investigation was carried out to analyze the quality and quantity of Bakain intercropped with fodder crops viz., Stylo, Charabadam, Paragrass and Hybrid Napier in agroforestry system at the Faculty of Forestry, Birsa Agricultural University, Ranchi, Jharkhand during 2019-20. Fodder production in Bakain tree in terms of green and dry leaf biomass, as well as their quality attributes viz., crude protein, crude fiber, acid detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber, ether extract, ash content, nitrogen free extract were assessed. Five different treatment combinations viz., Bakain + Stylo, Bakain + Charabadam, Bakain + Paragrass, Bakain + Hybrid Napier, and one control plot of Bakain tree was replicated three times and statistically analyzed in Randomized Block Design. The result indicates that sole Bakain tree had the highest green and dry leaf biomass (2.133 and 0.912 kg/tree respectively), CF and NDF (53.63 and 34.84 respectively), whereas, CP, Ash and E.E (12.97, 3.07, 4.13 respectively) found highest in Bakain + Stylo combinations and highest ADF (38.27) was obtained in Bakain + Charabadam combination. However, some combinations of intercrops with Bakain could not be established for the farmers of Jharkhand. The study concludes that intercropping of Bakain with legume grass like Stylo and Charabadam were found to be most beneficial with regards to fodder production both in term of nutritional quality and quantity.

Payment for Ecosystem Services Based on the Supply and Demand of Soil Retention Service in a Drinking Water Source Basin

Payment for Ecosystem Services Based on the Supply and Demand of Soil Retention Service in a Drinking Water Source Basin

Prospects of Payment for Ecosystem Services: Case from Water Service Scheme in Nepal

Payment for ecosystem services (PES), a voluntary transaction for the optimum use of scarce natural resources, are highly recommended for conservation of forests and watershed. Despite multiple recommendations, there has not been enough studies regarding PES in Nepal, except for limited areas like hydropower plants and community forests. Every PES scheme is unique, depending upon the conditions prevalent in its site therefore more studies are required to understand appropriateness of PES mechanism. Taking drinking water scheme in Sundarijal watershed as a case, this study assessed drinking water supply scheme prevalent in the site, and prioritized its problems, and expectations, from stakeholders’ perspectives. A phenomenological cross-sectional research approach was used and data were collected through in-depth interviews with major stakeholders. The result transcripts were analyzed in Atlasti version 7 and prioritized based on their frequency. The proper buying and selling mechanisms were not found in the current drinking water supply scheme in Sundarijal. The poor economic condition of users, inadequate funds in water users committee, and inadequate water collection for sales were determined as primary obstacles associated with PES establishment at the study site. Since the area has immense potential for PES, building additional water collection tanks with filter plants, a collaboration of multiple local organizations in the preparation of baseline document, identification of additional water sources, and adequate funding are perquisite to establish proper payment mechanism.

Ecosystem Services Valuation for the Sustainable Land Use Management by Nature-Based Solution (NbS) in the Common Agricultural Policy Actions: A Case Study on the Foglia River Basin (Marche Region, Italy)

Agricultural land is a very important ecosystem that provides a range of services like food, maintenance of soil structure, and hydrological services with high ecological value to human wellbeing Ecosystem Services (ESs). Understanding the contribution of different agricultural practices to supply ESs would help inform choices about the most beneficial land use management. Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are defined by IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) as actions to protect, sustainably manage and restore natural or modified ecosystems, which address societal challenges (e.g., climate change, food and water security, or natural disasters) effectively and adaptively, while simultaneously providing human wellbeing and biodiversity benefits. Some actions farmers can implement in the new Rural Development Programs (RDP 2021–2022 and 2023–2027) can be considered as NbS and could affect the quantity, quality, and time of some ESs related to water regulation and supply, N adsorption and erosion protection. This study aims to evaluate these ESs in different scenarios in the upper Foglia river basin (Italy) and at a local scale (farming), and to highlight the issue to compensate farmers for the production of public goods which benefit the whole society (ESs) by the implementation of RDP’s actions. These scenarios highlight how actions have positive effects on ecosystem services and their economic value related to land use management, on maintaining agricultural practices by integrating Water Frame Directive (2000/60/EC), Directive 2007/60/EC on the management of flood risks and highlighting the potential role of farmers in a high diversity landscape. This study highlights a new way to evaluate the processes of natural capital in the production of public goods, which benefits the whole society (ESs), by emphasizing the economic and environmental role of farmers in producing them and putting on the table data to trigger a PES (Payment for Ecosystem Services) mechanism. To facilitate decision making, robust decision support tools are needed, underpinned by comprehensive cost-benefit analyses and spatially modeling in which agriculture can be a strategic sector to optimize food production and environmental protection in harmony with the Farm to Fork (F2F) strategy.

Assessing Payment for Ecosystem Services of Panchase Conservation Area: Exploring the Potentialities

Adoption of “Payment for Environmental Services (PES)” scheme can be one option to protect the forest area and the Phewa Lake for sustaining the existing benefits. The study was carried out to explore the adoption possibility of PES mechanism in Panchase Conservation Area (PCA) for the sustainable management of the forest and the Phewa Lake. The study was focused on people of Bhadaure and Chapakot villages of Panchase area as upstream dwellers and different downstream communities benefitted from the lake. Major environmental services were prioritized for both upstream and downstream dwellers and the major impacts on the downstream communities were also found out. Multiple linear regression model was adopted to assess the factors affecting the downstream communities for providing suitable incentives to upstream dwellers. Watershed protection was found to be the major environmental service prioritized by both upstream and downstream respondents. Most of the people of both upstream and downstream communities are willing to accept (WTA) and pay (WTP) for the protection of the prioritized environmental service. Hotel communities were seem to have highest WTP followed by boating, fishing and agricultural communities. Also, Income, education, household member and residential distance were statistically significant to WTP of downstream beneficiary group. Based on the WTP of the downstream beneficiary groups, it is concluded that the area is potential for initiating PES mechanism for the sustainable conservation of watershed and regulate benefits on sustained basis. Education based activities should be organized to enhance participation of more beneficiaries and upstream dwellers whereas proper policy mechanism should be formulated for assuring community people before the implementation of PES.

Research on the coordinated development of ecosystem services and well-being in agricultural and pastoral areas

Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) has been widely accepted as a policy tool for promoting ecological and social progress. However, PES development and implementation in traditional agricultural and pastoral areas are often more challenging than in other areas. The contradiction between ecological protection and people's livelihood development in traditional agricultural and pastoral areas is related to developing country's sustainable development strategy. Based on this, we evaluate the PES (ERCCP: the Ecological Relocation and Capital Compensation Program) program in Tianzhu County, as a case study to investigated the impact of ERCCP on the local natural and social ecosystems on a 20-year scale. The results of indicated that ERCCP has achieved “win-win” gains of restoring environment and promoting socioeconomic development: in the 10 years since ERCCP was implemented, the area of forest land and grassland increased significantly, increasing by 1135.6 ha and 919.62 ha, respectively. 57.5% of farmland was converted to grassland and 30.8% to forest, respectively. In addition, 92.2% and 7.5% of bare land were replaced by grassland and forest, respectively, indicating a gradual recovery of green land during this period. We also analyzed the effects of ERCCP on social systems, and found that the change of agro-pastoralists’ attitude towards ERCCP promoted the transfer of labor force from the primary industry to the tertiary industry, accelerated the development of urbanization, and made the poor population completely out of poverty by 2020. In addition, we predict that the income level of households, the PES return on investment of local governments, and the value of regional ecosystem services will increase significantly after 2025. In this context, We establish a theoretical model to explain the win-win plan for the coordinated development of ecosystem services and regional well-being to explore the sustainability of PES and provided a typical case for the similar research area in the world, especially in the areas with the ecological fragility and poverty problems.