Taking stock and charting a way forward for Payments for Ecosystem Services in Africa: A meeting of the East & Southern Africa Katoomba Group

Abstract

Previous regional Katoomba meetings in Uganda (2005) and South Africa (2006) demonstrated that Africans have become increasingly interested in market-based conservation strategies, including payments for ecosystem services (PES). While a number of projects are underway, PES in the East and Southern African region primarily occurs on an ad hoc basis through small-scale pilot projects. Information, capacity to design and manage PES deals, and institutions to support on-the-ground implementation are all lacking and have hindered efforts to scale up.