The Impact of Paying for Forest Conservation on Tenure Security in Ecuador

Abstract

"We study the impact of Ecuador’s national forest conservation incentives program on perceived land tenure conflicts. Data come from a survey of 861 households located within 49 indigenous and Afro-Ecuadorian communities holding communal conservation contracts. We use quasi-experimental methods to test for relationships between program participation and perceived changes in land conflicts. Respondents reported that the program reduced land conflicts with external actors when households resided in communities with de facto communal tenure arrangements (vs. de facto semi-private tenure arrangements). We find no evidence that the conservation payment program increased perceptions of land conflicts. These results counter concerns that conservation payments undermine local rights and land tenure security; in some cases perceived tenure security is improved."