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This case study discusses the history, contributions, and hurdles faced by Costa Rica’s payment for ecosystem services (PES) programme, which was one of the first nationalized programmes of its kind. It also provides clear and concise recommendations of how the programme could be improved to balance conservation goals, development goals, and the provision of ecosystem services.
Costa Rica’s PES programme provides a valuable source of inspiration for other countries that are looking for effective ways to conserve and regenerate ecosystems. Since 1997, nearly one million hectares of forest in Costa Rica have been part of the PES programme at one time or another, and forest cover has now returned to more than 50 percent of the country’s land area, from a low of just 20 percent in the 1980s. This study gives a thorough overview on the lessons that can be learned from the 20 years since it was launched, thus helping local practitioners, international researchers, and donors who are interested in learning from the Costa Rican experience.
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