Securing environmental services and alleviating poverty

Introduction: PES programs can have a significant impact on the poor. This is because potential service providers often constitute poor land users who depend directly on the local resource base for their livelihoods. Payments for securing useful environmental services potentially represent an opportunity to improve the economic well being of the poor who provide services. PES literature often highlights the potential compatibility between environmental conservation and poverty alleviation, so much so that some organizations now consider PES primarily as a tool for reducing poverty.