Strengthening Livelihood Flows on Payment for Environmental Services through Local Lenses: Evidences from the Bolsa Floresta Programme

Abstract: Payment for Environmental Services (PES) schemes have been broadly acknowledged as a tool to promote conservation of natural resources, but a critical debate is addressed on whether PES improves the livelihood of local populations, while providers of these services "” a debate which is also critical to current discussions on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) mechanism. In this context, few studies assess the local perspective in their potential role within this process. This study evaluates the local view regarding the proposed objectives of a PES initiative in the Brazilian Amazon. The results indicate that at the Sustainable Development Reserve (SDR) Uatumã, the perception of the traditional communities, mostly regarding the participatory process and the non-financial benefits received by these communities, differs in some aspects from those benefits outlined within several objectives proposed by the programme. The perception of local communities about their relationship with the forest plays an essential role in successfully applying a long-term benefit-sharing intervention. Hence, in a strategy that involves long-term benefits, trust between both parties is essential from the beginning may be a pre-requisite for satisfaction. The opinions and preferences of the impacted stakeholders should be considered during the design of such schemes rather than only during project implementation.