Socio-Environmental Effects of Payment for Environmental Services: Management Case in Reserva de la Biosfera La Sepultura, Chiapas, Mexico

Abstract

Payments for environmental services (PES) schemes are promoted as economic incentives to maintain forest cover and improve human well-being. The present study carried out in an ejido in the state of Chiapas, Mexico, analyzes the social perception of ejidatarios, settlers (pobladores), and neighbors (avecindados) regarding the environmental, economic, and social effects that the PES causes in two forms of man-agement: community/collective and on behalf of an organized group. We identified differentiated effects in the three dimensions of analysis through semi-structured interviews and considering variables of the ter-ritorial context and the management mechanisms. When the program was carried out in a community/collective way, the actors expressed speeches and positive views on forest conservation and organizational processes. When it was operated by an organized group, although the eji-datarios could promote new institutional designs, the results did not fa-vor the settlers and neighbors. Our findings suggest that it is necessary to recognize the sociocultural context in which PES schemes are introduced since it affects their results and forms of management.