Environmental Services as a Development Strategy and as a Political Strategy in Mexico

Abstract

"In Mexico were likely to be in the early-Spring of 'Payment for Environmental Services' (PES) as a neo-agrarian policy formulation. The disappointments around the Kyoto Protocol notwithstanding, the Mexican government riding on the enthusiasm of the World Bank is increasingly committed to this liberal-inspired conservation strategy. Positions on the part of Mexican civil society organizations (OSC) range from eager to phobic. In the organization I represent, FORO para el Desarrollo Sustentable, we view Environmental Services as a potentially important instrument for achieving environmental goals linked to Reform of the State.

"In this paper, I draw on conclusions from a collaborative research project on PES, which served as the basis for consultation with Chiapanec Indian social-property holders on their views regarding ES strategies. I highlight political considerations, including collective property rights, that need to be addressed in the course of valuating ES as a potential development policy option, particularly as relevant for Indians."