Paying for Biodiversity
Enhancing the Cost-Effectiveness of Payments for Ecosystem Services
Biodiversity and ecosystem services provide tangible benefits for society, such as
food provisioning, water purification, genetic resources or climate regulation. These
services provide critical life support functions and contribute to human health, well
being and economic growth. Yet biodiversity is declining worldwide and, in some areas,
this loss is accelerating. The need for policies that promote the conservation and
sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystem services is more important than ever.
Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) is a direct and flexible incentive-based mechanism
under which the user or beneficiary of an ecosystem service makes a direct payment
to an individual or community whose land use decisions have an impact on the ecosystem
service provision. Interest in PES has been increasing rapidly over the past decade:
PES are proliferating worldwide and there are already more than 300 programmes in
place today at national, regional and local levels.
Drawing on the literature concerning effective PES and on more than 30 case studies
from both developed and developing countries, this book aims to identify good practice
in the design and implementation of PES programmes so as to enhance their environmental
and cost effectiveness. It addresses the following questions: Why are PES useful and
how do they work? How can they be made most effective environmentally and how can
their cost-effectiveness be maximised? What are the different potential sources of
finance for PES programmes, and how can they be secured? and What are the lessons
learned from existing PES programmes and insights for future programmes, including
international PES?
Published on October 04, 2010Also available in: Bulgarian, French, Romanian