Talk:Payment for ecosystem services

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I have some proposed changes for this article. Generally, my plan is to expand upon the theoretical foundation behind PES, as well as theoretical foundation for its critiques. In addition, I hope to provide some more recent case studies of major programs and greatly expand the criticism section. I am including a short annotated bibliography to start. All input is welcome.

Hecken et al. 2015. Gert van Hecken, J. Bastiaensen, C. Windey. Towards a power-sensitive and socially-informed analysis of payments for ecosystem services (PES): Addressing the gaps in the current debate Ecological Economics, 120 (2015) pp 117-125 • This source discusses the theoretical gaps in the debate regarding PES. It argues that the current debate is over-simplified in many ways and ignores the complexities of culture, diversity and power relations. It presents three key problem areas and also presents an expanded social model to generate insight into different sociological and power structures affecting PES.

Persson, U and Francisco Alpízar 2011. Conditional Cash Transfers and Payments for Environmental Services Environment for Development, Discussion Paper Series. May 2011. • This paper aims to give insight into what makes an effective CCT program or PES program. They employ a stylized model for analysis and present empirical data to support their claims. They present some a priori indicators of program participation that affect program efficiency in the long term.

Engel et al. 2008. S. Engel, S. Pagiola, S. Wunder Designing payments for environmental services in theory and practice: An overview of the issues Ecological Economics, 65 (2008), pp 663-674 • This paper provides an overview of the main issues at stake in PES programs. They examine program design, efficiency, and impact through the perspective of environmental economics. They specify the distinctions in different types of PES programs and when one might be more desirable to implement over another. They also address the issue of deciding when to implement any kind of PES program.

Corbera et al. 2008. E. Corbera, C. Soberanis, K. Brown. Institutional dimensions of Payments for Ecosystem Services: An analysis of Mexico’s Carbon forestry programme Ecological Economics, 68 (2009) pp 743-761. • This source examines PES program design and implementation through a case study of Mexico’s Program of Payments for Carbon, Biodiversity, and Agro-forestry Services. They analyze the social and institutional factors affecting the program, perception by participants, and program outcomes.

Payment for Environmental Services: A promising tool for natural resource management in Africa African Development Bank Group, May 2015. • This report by the AFDB discusses Africa-specific environmental challenges and the potential role of PES in solving them. It provides an overview of the state of PES in Africa and examines the critical role of institutions in supporting the effectiveness of PES programs.

Gómez-Baggethun et al. 2009. E. Gómez-Baggethun, R. de Groot, P. L. Lomas, C. Montes The history of ecosystem services in economic theory and practice: From early notions to markets and payment schemes. Ecological Economics, 69 (2009), pp 1209-1218 • In this paper, the authors dive into the roots and history of PES schemes. They examine the theoretical economic origins for such programs and how they have evolved over time.

Grima et al. 2016. N. Grima, S. J. Singh, B. Smetschka, L. Ringhofer Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) in Latin America: Analysing the performance of 40 case studies. Ecological Economics, 17 (2016), pp 24-32. • This paper evaluates the effectiveness of 40 different PES programs in Latin America. They attempt to identify the factors that impede success as well as those that promote desired outcomes. This paper is very recent, which will be a good resource in discovering other sources to use down the line.