Description

This paper describes a site selection tool designed to improve the efficiency of Payments for environmental services (PES) mechanisms through spatial differentiation. The tool considers three variables: the environmental services of the area, risk of service loss, and costs of participation. An implemented PES scheme in the Nicoya Peninsula of Costa Rica provides the empirical data for testing the tool’s capacity to increase program efficiency.

Contents:

1. Introduction 2. Concept and definitions 3. Study area and data 3.1. Biodiversity services 3.2. Carbon services 3.3. Hydrological services 3.4. Scenic beauty 3.5. PES participation costs 3.6. Deforestation risks 4. Targeting approaches 5. Results 6. Sensitivity analysis 7. Discussion 8. Conclusions