Motivation for payments for ecosystem services in Laos
Motivation for payments for ecosystem services in Laos

Author: William Robichaud

Publisher: CIFOR

Published: 2014-08-26

Total Pages: 26

ISBN-13:

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Payment for ecosystems services (PES) is a mechanism that attempts to create motivation for the conservation of biodiversity, where insufficient motivation existed before. Laos is a country rich in natural resources, with high dependence on these natural resources (particularly forests and rivers) for national income generation. Consequently, the country would seem to be fertile ground for the application of the PES concept, particularly in the hydropower sector. The largest hydropower project currently in operation in Laos is the Nam Theun 2 dam, which exports most of its electricity to neighboring Thailand. The dam’s watershed is the largest nature reserve in Indochina, Nakai-Nam Theun National Protected Area. Through mechanisms brokered by the World Bank, Nam Theun 2 has several features common to PES schemes. They are focused on using revenues from the dam to conserve the biodiversity and forest cover of Nakai-Nam Theun. This brief examines the degree of alignment of Nam Theun 2 with PES principles as commonly understood, and examines the potential for successful application of PES schemes generally in Laos. Some generally recognized constraints to implementation of PES schemes in developing countries are compounded in Laos, a Marxist state, which embraces social and economic philosophies contrary to the capitalist PES features of individual ownership of natural resources and transparency. Consequently, motivation within government for advancing PES in policy and law will likely be low, and a constraint to its uptake within the country. The way forward will likely be to focus on small, local projects that align with existing government policy.

Regional Synthesis of Payments for Environmental Services (PES) in the Greater Mekong Region
Regional Synthesis of Payments for Environmental Services (PES) in the Greater Mekong Region

Author: Luca Tacconi

Publisher: CIFOR

Published: 2015-03-18

Total Pages: 28

ISBN-13: 602150481X

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This report synthesizes the country studies on PES schemes in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam – that were prepared for a regional review – to compare the various schemes, to assess their current status, implementation processes and lessons learned, and to draw policy recommendations relevant to REDD+. A summary discussion of the definitions of PES is provided, given that the definitional issue is raised in the individual reports. That discussion is used to present a comprehensive framework of the key design features of PES, which is then used to outline the features of the PES schemes in the four country studies before presenting a comparison of their key features and issues. Then, the key lessons learnt from the country studies and this review, as well as the policy recommendations relevant to REDD+, are derived.

Dead in the Water
Dead in the Water

Author: Bruce Shoemaker

Publisher: University of Wisconsin Pres

Published: 2018-06-19

Total Pages: 381

ISBN-13: 0299317900

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An urgent call for reassessment of policies supporting very large infrastructure projects in developing countries. This case study examines the planning, implementation, and unexpected outcomes--for both the local people and the environment--of one of the largest dams in Southeast Asia, which the World Bank promoted as a new model of sustainable development.

Just Conservation
Just Conservation

Author: Adrian Martin

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2017-04-21

Total Pages: 213

ISBN-13: 1317657012

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Loss of biodiversity is one of the great environmental challenges facing humanity but unfortunately efforts to reduce the rate of loss have so far failed. At the same time, these efforts have too often resulted in unjust social outcomes in which people living in or near to areas designated for conservation lose access to their territories and resources. In this book the author argues that our approach to biodiversity conservation needs to be more strongly informed by a concern for and understanding of social justice issues. Injustice can be a driver of biodiversity loss and a barrier to efforts at preservation. Conversely, the pursuit of social justice can be a strong motivation to find solutions to environmental problems. The book therefore argues that the pursuit of socially just conservation is not only intrinsically the right thing to do, but will also be instrumental in bringing about greater success. The argument for a more socially just conservation is initially developed conceptually, drawing upon ideas of environmental justice that incorporate concerns for distribution, procedure and recognition. It is then applied to a range of approaches to conservation including benefit sharing arrangements, integrated conservation and development projects and market-based approaches such as sustainable timber certification and payments for ecosystem services schemes. Case studies are drawn from the author's research in Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Laos, Bolivia, China and India.

Conserving and Valuing Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity
Conserving and Valuing Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity

Author: K. N. Ninan

Publisher: Earthscan

Published: 2012

Total Pages: 433

ISBN-13: 1849770859

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'Should be essential reading for all those who wish to realize truly sustainable development in this new millennium.' From the foreword by Achim Steiner UN Under-Secretary General and Executive Director United Nations Environment Programme 'Fills a much needed gap in the literature ... The chapters include contributions by leading academics and policy experts which make for one of the most authoritative books in this field.' Andreas Kontoleon University Lecturer and Director of MPhil in Environmental Policy University of Cambridge This is the most comprehensive book to address the economic soci.

Buying and Selling the Environment
Buying and Selling the Environment

Author: Gabriela Scheufele

Publisher: Academic Press

Published: 2019-07-10

Total Pages: 220

ISBN-13: 0128172878

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Buying and Selling the Environment: How to Design and Implement a PES Scheme provides a guide to the design and implementation of PES schemes that 'mimic' market processes, including three key elements: the estimation of the demand for environmental services, an understanding of the costs of supply, and how to predict the productivity of actions taken. This book will act as an instructional manual for practitioners, policymakers and their advisors in government and non-government organizations. Users will find a step-by-step demonstration based on firsthand experiences gained through a PES application at two case study sites. Finally, the book presents research in applied economics and bio-physical modeling. - Presents original and novel research in PES scheme design and implementation - Provides an instructional manual for practitioners, policymakers and their advisors - Includes case study that is based on the practical application of rigorous concepts

The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity in Local and Regional Policy and Management
The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity in Local and Regional Policy and Management

Author: Heidi Wittmer

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2012-05-23

Total Pages: 386

ISBN-13: 1136344594

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In this volume of the TEEB (The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity) publication series, the key concepts of the project are applied to local and regional policy and public management. The aim is to show that by taking nature's benefits into account, decision makers can promote local development to ensure human well-being and economic growth and stability, while maintaining environmental sustainability. The book explores the potential for local development provided by an approach based on nature. It offers examples of successful implementation of this approach from across the world, highlighting the importance of local decision making in management and planning. It provides tools and practical guidance for reform, and throughout the volume the economic benefits of environmental consideration at a local level are expounded. This book is intended to offer inspiration and practical suggestions for the improvement and sustainable management of the environment and human well-being. The local aspect of this book complements the focus of the previous three volumes, completing the set to provide a comprehensive approach to simultaneously improving and maintaining economic and environmental stability, as well as human well-being.

Realising REDD+
Realising REDD+

Author: Arild Angelsen

Publisher: CIFOR

Published: 2009-01-01

Total Pages: 390

ISBN-13: 6028693030

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REDD+ must be transformational. REDD+ requires broad institutional and governance reforms, such as tenure, decentralisation, and corruption control. These reforms will enable departures from business as usual, and involve communities and forest users in making and implementing policies that a ect them. Policies must go beyond forestry. REDD+ strategies must include policies outside the forestry sector narrowly de ned, such as agriculture and energy, and better coordinate across sectors to deal with non-forest drivers of deforestation and degradation. Performance-based payments are key, yet limited. Payments based on performance directly incentivise and compensate forest owners and users. But schemes such as payments for environmental services (PES) depend on conditions, such as secure tenure, solid carbon data and transparent governance, that are often lacking and take time to change. This constraint reinforces the need for broad institutional and policy reforms. We must learn from the past. Many approaches to REDD+ now being considered are similar to previous e orts to conserve and better manage forests, often with limited success. Taking on board lessons learned from past experience will improve the prospects of REDD+ e ectiveness. National circumstances and uncertainty must be factored in. Di erent country contexts will create a variety of REDD+ models with di erent institutional and policy mixes. Uncertainties about the shape of the future global REDD+ system, national readiness and political consensus require  exibility and a phased approach to REDD+ implementation.

REDD+ on the ground
REDD+ on the ground

Author: Erin O Sills

Publisher: CIFOR

Published: 2014-12-24

Total Pages: 536

ISBN-13: 6021504550

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REDD+ is one of the leading near-term options for global climate change mitigation. More than 300 subnational REDD+ initiatives have been launched across the tropics, responding to both the call for demonstration activities in the Bali Action Plan and the market for voluntary carbon offset credits.

Evidence-based Conservation
Evidence-based Conservation

Author: Terry C.H. Sunderland

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2012-09-10

Total Pages: 481

ISBN-13: 1136469230

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There is a considerable gap between the science of conservation biology and the design and execution of biodiversity conservation projects in the field. Science is often failing to inform the practice of conservation, which remains largely experience-based. The main reason is the poor accessibility of evidence on the effectiveness of different interventions. This is the basis for this book adopting an 'evidence-based approach', modelled on the systematic reviews used in health sciences and now being applied to many policy arenas. Evidence-based Conservation brings together a series of case studies, written by field practitioners, that provides the evidence-base for evaluating how effective conservation and poverty alleviation strategies can be better implemented. A series of systematic reviews uses experiences and data from fifteen integrated conservation and development projects conducted in the Lower Mekong region, specifically in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. They provide wide-ranging overviews of the effectiveness of protected areas and how innovative tools and methods for monitoring and evaluation can be utilised for more effective outcomes. Results are in the form of management and policy recommendations, based on the quality of evidence and the cost-utility of the intervention. By bridging the gap between field practice and conservation, the analysis should lead to more effective integrated conservation and development interventions. The book represents one of the first attempts to apply the evidence-based approach to conservation and development.