One of the most difficult challenges facing developing countries is balancing the needs of rural people with the demands of nature conservation. All too often, conflicts occur because local needs are not taken into account in conservation planning. One of the more promising approaches to solving this problem involves paying local people to protect and conserve the environment. Such 'Payments for Environmental Services'(PES) compensate rural people for any income they might forgo when farming or forestry is constrained in protected area and reward them for contributing to the common good.

Download