Resumen

In principle, payments for environmental services – such as watershed management, biodiversity 
conservation, and carbon sequestration – can advance the goals of both environmental protection 
and poverty reduction. A review of recent initiatives in the Americas suggests, however, that this 
desirable combination is not automatic. If payments for environmental services (PES) schemes 
are to be an effective vehicle for strengthening livelihoods in poor rural communities, they must 
be designed with that objective firmly in mind. This paper draws key lessons from diverse 
experiences in Costa Rica, Mexico, Brazil, El Salvador, and New York.