DEMAND-SIDE AND SUPPLY-SIDE PARTICIPATION IN PAYMENTS FOR ECOSYSTEM SERVICES (PES): INSIGHTS FROM SOUTHEAST ASIA

Abstract

PES implementation in most countries relies on voluntary participation from: ‘buyers’ willing to pay for ecosystem services, ‘sellers’ willing to alter their land management practices, and ‘facilitators’ that can encourage participation through institutional change. This thesis investigates supply-side (seller and facilitator) and demand-side (buyer) factors that encourage or discourage voluntary participation in PES schemes in Thailand and the Philippines. Chapter 1 investigates how and why PES facilitators have attempted institutional change and the challenges encountered. Chapter 2 identifies that corporate buyers may face internal institutional challenges to participate in PES. Chapter 3 evaluates the extent to which three corporate-financed PES schemes conform to a sustainable production strategy. Chapter 4 tests whether prospective sellers and stakeholders prefer to participate in PES over alternative environmental management approaches. The thesis reveals key limiting factors to voluntary participation, helping explain why PES may have gained limited traction in most countries of the world.