ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF PAYMENT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES

Abstract

Payment for Environmental Services (PES) has emerged as a strategic policy approach that promises to increase efforts to conserve and/or restore ecosystems and its associated services. In recent decades, scientific literature has provided guidelines, based on the lessons learned from experiences, especially international ones, which can be used improve the design of the instrument. This study aims to identify the essential elements pointed out in the selected literature that can be considered for the legal regulation of PES, as well as assessing whether Bahia’s state and municipal legal norms comply with these scientific guidelines. To achieve this, a narrative review of the literature on PES was conducted, with content analysis selected from references that indicate operational guidelines, criteria and approaches to the effectiveness and planning of successful PES schemes. Subsequently, the adequacy of the legislation investigated was checked for compliance with the mentioned literature. It was found that the laws (federal, state, and municipal) meet more than 60% of the essential elements indicated by the selected doctrine.