Enhancing Conservation,Ecosystem Services,and Local Livelihoods through a Wildlife Premium Mechanism |
| |
| Authors: | Eric Dinerstein Keshav Varma Eric Wikramanayake George Powell Susan Lumpkin Robin Naidoo Mike Korchinsky Christian Del Valle Shubash Lohani John Seidensticker Dirk Joldersma Thomas Lovejoy Andrey Kushlin |
| |
| Institution: | 1. Conservation Science Program, World Wildlife Fund‐US, , NW, Washington, DC, 20037 U.S.A.;2. Global Tiger Initiative, World Bank Group, , NW Washington, DC, 20433 U.S.A.;3. Eastern Himalayas Program, World Wildlife Fund‐ US, , Washington, DC, 20037 U.S.A.;4. Wildlife Works Carbon, , Mill Valley, CA, 94941 U.S.A.;5. Althelia Climate Fund – 5, rue Guillaume Kroll, , Luxembourg;6. Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, , Washington, DC, 20008 U.S.A.;7. Macroeconomics and Policy Program, World Wildlife Fund, , Washington, DC, 20037 U.S.A.;8. Environmental Science and Policy Program, George Mason University, , Fairfax, VA, 22030 U.S.A.;9. The Heinz Center for Science, Economics, and Environment, , Washington, DC, 20004 U.S.A. |
| |
| Abstract: | We propose the wildlife premium mechanism as an innovation to conserve endangered large vertebrates. The performance‐based payment scheme would allow stakeholders in lower‐income countries to generate revenue by recovering and maintaining threatened fauna that can also serve as umbrella species (i.e., species whose protection benefits other species with which they co‐occur). There are 3 possible options for applying the premium: option 1, embed premiums in a carbon payment; option 2, link premiums to a related carbon payment, but as independent and legally separate transactions; option 3, link premiums to noncarbon payments for conserving ecosystem services (PES). Each option presents advantages, such as incentive payments to improve livelihoods of rural poor who reside in or near areas harboring umbrella species, and challenges, such as the establishment of a subnational carbon credit scheme. In Kenya, Peru, and Nepal pilot premium projects are now underway or being finalized that largely follow option 1. The Kasigau (Kenya) project is the first voluntary carbon credit project to win approval from the 2 leading groups sanctioning such protocols and has already sold carbon credits totaling over $1.2 million since June 2011. A portion of the earnings is divided among community landowners and projects that support community members and has added over 350 jobs to the local economy. All 3 projects involve extensive community management because they occur on lands where locals hold the title or have a long‐term lease from the government. The monitoring, reporting, and verification required to make premium payments credible to investors include transparent methods for collecting data on key indices by trained community members and verification of their reporting by a biologist. A wildlife premium readiness fund would enable expansion of pilot programs needed to test options beyond those presented here. Mejora de la Conservación, Servicios del Ecosistema y Calidad de Vida Local Mediante un Mecanismo de Compensación de Vida Silvestre |
| |
| Keywords: | community based conservation landscape conservation large mammals PES REDD – Reduction of Emissions for Deforestation and Degradation species conservation sustainable financing for conservation wildlife premium mechanism Conservació n de especies conservació n basada en comunidades conservació n del paisaje financiació n sostenible para la conservació n Reducció n de Emisiones por Deforestació n y Degradació n mamí feros mayores mecanismo de primas para la fauna Pago por Servicios Ambientales |
|
|
