Communities and PES-CES

Compensating Poor Rural Compensating Poor Rural Communities for Ecosystem Communities for Ecosystem

Services: Services: Markets, Payments or Something Markets, Payments or Something

Else? Else? Herman Rosa, Director, PRISMAHerman Rosa, Director, PRISMA

PROGRAMA SALVADOREÑO DE INVESTIGACIÓN SOBRE DESARROLLO Y MEDIO AMBIENTESALVADORAN RESEARCH PROGRAM ON DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENT

Communities and PES-CES

Communities and Markets for Ecosystem Services: An Uneasy

Relationship• In May 2006 groups of indigenous, afroecuadoran In May 2006 groups of indigenous, afroecuadoran

and campesino origin demanded: and campesino origin demanded: ““(...) the ANULMENT of all the contracts of (...) the ANULMENT of all the contracts of environmental services sales affecting the territories environmental services sales affecting the territories of indigenous, afroecuadoran and campesino of indigenous, afroecuadoran and campesino peoples, nations and communities in Ecuador” peoples, nations and communities in Ecuador” (Puyo Declaration: http://www.wrm.org.uy/paises/Ecuador/Puyo.html)(Puyo Declaration: http://www.wrm.org.uy/paises/Ecuador/Puyo.html)

• In Arenal (Costa Rica), some producers are unwilling In Arenal (Costa Rica), some producers are unwilling to enter into the official PES scheme because they to enter into the official PES scheme because they distrust the government and fear they will lose control distrust the government and fear they will lose control over their landsover their lands (Porras y Hope, 2005)(Porras y Hope, 2005)

Communities and PES-CES

Three contrasting perspectives on

PES-CES and Poor Rural Communities

1.1. PES is only a conservation tool. Adding explicitly the PES is only a conservation tool. Adding explicitly the objective of community involvement for poverty reduction objective of community involvement for poverty reduction will impede efficient market functioning and reduce will impede efficient market functioning and reduce conservation benefits for allconservation benefits for all..

2.2. PES is a tool for poverty reduction and sustainable natural PES is a tool for poverty reduction and sustainable natural resource management, but community involvement resource management, but community involvement requires addressing the requires addressing the market constraints that they face.market constraints that they face.

3.3. CES (Compensation for Ecosystem Services) is a tool to CES (Compensation for Ecosystem Services) is a tool to empower communities governance over territories they empower communities governance over territories they inhabit and control, while ensuring sustainable livelihoods inhabit and control, while ensuring sustainable livelihoods and ecosystem services for themselves and for others.and ecosystem services for themselves and for others.

Communities and PES-CES

Choices of communities and their supporters before the contrasting

PES/CES perspectives1.1. ADOPT existing and developing Payments/Markets for ADOPT existing and developing Payments/Markets for ecosystem services (PES/MES) schemes if they have ecosystem services (PES/MES) schemes if they have secure rights to natural resources at a significant scale and secure rights to natural resources at a significant scale and quality, as well as the technical and entrepreneurial quality, as well as the technical and entrepreneurial capacities to gain successful entry into these markets.capacities to gain successful entry into these markets.

2.2. ADAPT communities through capacity building so that they ADAPT communities through capacity building so that they can enter into those schemes. Complementarily, seek to can enter into those schemes. Complementarily, seek to develop/shape/tailor PES/MES schemes so that they take develop/shape/tailor PES/MES schemes so that they take into account communities conditions and concernsinto account communities conditions and concerns..

3.3. EXPLORE alternative scenarios and complementary EXPLORE alternative scenarios and complementary avenues until a CES strategy emerges that is contextually avenues until a CES strategy emerges that is contextually embedded and furthers community-defined goals. embedded and furthers community-defined goals.

Communities and PES-CES

Conditions for successful adaptation of communities to MES/PES schemes 1.1. Cultural values that do not resist commodification and Cultural values that do not resist commodification and

market relations.market relations.

2.2. Secure control over natural resources so that MESSecure control over natural resources so that MES//PES PES initiatives are not perceived as undermining that control.initiatives are not perceived as undermining that control.

3.3. An identified demand, as well as a relatively clear picture of An identified demand, as well as a relatively clear picture of the link between land use and ES provision.the link between land use and ES provision.

4.4. Adequate stock of human and social capital to ensure Adequate stock of human and social capital to ensure effective collective action and reduced transaction costs.effective collective action and reduced transaction costs.

5.5. Supporting organizations and intermediaries that do not Supporting organizations and intermediaries that do not subordinate communities to their own goals or material gain. subordinate communities to their own goals or material gain.

Communities and PES-CES

Exploring complementary avenues …

First things must come first• Poor rural communities depend heavily on the Poor rural communities depend heavily on the resource base and their management decisions resource base and their management decisions seek FIRST to guarantee their self-provisioning seek FIRST to guarantee their self-provisioning of food, water, fuel and spiritual well being.of food, water, fuel and spiritual well being.

• Communities welcome support to strengthen Communities welcome support to strengthen rights, improve practices, and strengthen rights, improve practices, and strengthen institutions to guarantee self-provisioning. institutions to guarantee self-provisioning.

1Practices for

Self-Provisioning(food, water, fuel,

spiritual well-being)

Communities and PES-CES

Exploring complementary avenues …

Improving income generating activities

• Communities will welcome support to improve their EXISTING practices so that they can gain better Communities will welcome support to improve their EXISTING practices so that they can gain better entry into markets thus increasing their income: entry into markets thus increasing their income:

• Technical assistance, marketing support, Technical assistance, marketing support, infrastructure infrastructure improvement, improvement, certification.certification.

1.Practices for

Self-Provisioning(food, water, fuel,

spiritual well-being)

2. Practices for Income

Generations(agriculture, agro-forestry,

forestry, non-timber products, rural tourism, handicrafts)

Communities and PES-CES

Obtaining compensations for ecosystem services of regional

and global interest • Build on improved practices for self-provisioning Build on improved practices for self-provisioning and income generation, to explore territorial and income generation, to explore territorial management schemes, specific practices and management schemes, specific practices and compensations for ecosystem services of compensations for ecosystem services of regional/global regional/global interestinterest

1.Practices for

Self-Provisioning(food, water, fuel,

spiritual well-being)

2. Practices for Income

Generation(agriculture, agro-forestry,

forestry, non-timber products, rural tourism, handicrafts)

3.Practices to Guarantee Ecosystem Services of

Regional / Global Interest(water quality and water regulation, biodiversity, carbon sequestration)

1.Practices for

Self-Provisioning(food, water, fuel,

spiritual well-being)

2. Practices for Income

Generations(agriculture, agro-forestry,

forestry, non-timber products, rural tourism, handicrafts)

3.Practices to Guarantee Ecosystem Services of

Regional / Global Interest(water quality and water regulation,

biodiversity, carbon sequestion)

Institutional Arrangements(community, local, micro-regional, regional, national, global)

Critical Issues for Equitable and

Efficient Schemes____________________

Defend, Expand and Innovate Rights

(access, extraction, management, tenure,

transfer)

Landscape Perspective that Values Human

Action(anthropogenic

components within landscape mosaics)

Strengthen Organizational Capacity

(for collective action, conflict resolution, external linkages)

Compensation Supporting

Improvements in the three-levels

____________________

Technical Assistance

Infrastructure / Investment Support

Marketing Support

Financial Compensation

Tenure Security Management Rights

Supporting Negotiating Platforms

Embedding CES: Putting it all together

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