Payments for Ecosystem Services in Sustainable Mangrove Forest Management in Bangladesh

Abstract

In the context of sustainable development, both developed and developing countries are implementing policies that encourage economic growth, environmental protection and social well-being in resource decisions. According to the 2012 Rio+20 Declaration, market-based instruments that complement regulations can offer an economically efficient push to sustainable growth. Market-based instruments, such as payments for ecosystem services (PES) and other market incentives, may play a crucial role in enhancing the livelihoods and wider well-being of poor people. However, for economic tools such as PES to prove valuable in managing natural resources, the decision-making and implementation processes must integrate adequate rights allocation and participatory mechanisms. This article examines forest ecosystem services in the context of the mangrove reserve forest of the Sundarbans in Bangladesh. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the largest remaining areas of mangroves in the world with an exceptional level of biodiversity. The article argues for a more realistic and equitable approach to PES projects in Bangladesh. It underscores the need for effective participatory tools, third-party monitoring and multi-service PES schemes to improve multiple mangrove ecosystem services in the Sundarbans.

Design considerations in supporting payments for ecosystem services from community-managed forests in Nepal

“…While others have paid much attention to the biophysical, technical and economic aspects of PES, sustainability may be jeopardised if the socioeconomic and policy considerations are not included in the design for the PES Ingram et al, 2014). In line with the results of this study, many recent studies have also identified similar design considerations such as equity and participation (Pagiola et al, 2010), benefit distribution , technical matters (Meyer et al, 2015), ecological factors (Prager et al, 2016), equity (Razzaque, 2017) and payment structure . In contrast, our study presents a complete list of priority considerations reflecting the views of multiple stakeholders.…”

1980s–2010s: The world's largest mangrove ecosystem is becoming homogeneous

“…Recently, the government has also initiated a Collaborative REDD/IFM (Improved Forest Management) Sundarbans Project (CRISP) to conserve mangrove forests for a total CO 2 emissions reduction of about 6.4 million tons over a 30-year period (Ahmed et al, 2017). Our spatially-explicit baseline biodiversity information can contribute to successful implementation of these initiatives for enhancing carbon stock (through biodiversity conservation) and also for generating economic benefit for the country (Razzaque, 2017).…”

Disconnected dots?: A systematic review of governance challenges for natural resource management

“…An inability to implement a broad mix of strategic solutions was identified in 106 papers, (44%). Factors limiting capacity to implement a broad mixture of strategic solutions variously included issues such as poverty (Bushley, 2010;Riggs et al, 2018), transboundary inconsistencies in management, regulations or political will (Daniel et al, 2013;McConnell William & Sweeney Sean, 2005), and land ownership (Fleischman et al, 2010;Razzaque, 2017). A large number of the papers citing these issues recognised the interplay between limited human, infrastructure, knowledge, and financial resources and institutions' reduced capacity to implement a broad mixture of strategic solutions.…”