Payments for ecosystem services: We can't leave people out of the equation | International Institute for Environment and Development

Payments for ecosystem services: We can't leave people out of the equation | International Institute for Environment and Development:

The event gathered IIED partners from as far as Costa Rica, Uganda, Indonesia and Mexico, to share lessons about how to make payments for ecosystem services (PES) schemes fairer and more inclusive for small scale farmers and local communities.

It was a showcase for both long standing and newer schemes, highlighting the enormous diversity of contexts in which they operate – from different ways of including local people in their design and planning, to ways of understanding payment preferences.

Different funding models and ways of securing adequate finance for these schemes also featured in the day's discussions. But it wasn't all theory, and tips from several participants, including the Swedish carbon company U&WE brought insights on promoting private sector participation.

 

 Costa Rica's Peñas Blancas Reservoir is the focus of work involving payments for ecosystem services (Photo: Dr Ina Porras)