Because the effectiveness of payment for ecosystem services (PES) programs depends on landowners’ engagement, understanding the relationship between the type of payment and participation is a key issue. This paper reports on a choice experiment that quantifies landowners’ preferences for cash and educational in-kind payment. The main results indicate a positive correlation between participation in a PES contract and the magnitude of the cash payment, while participation seems uncorrelated with the magnitude of the educational in-kind payment. In addition, we investigate the mix of payment types and heterogeneity in preferences, which can help policymakers design strategies to increase participation.
One method to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is to subsidize emissions-reducing activities. The question is how to allocate such subsidies. Allocation through auctions is an emerging mechanism. In a controlled experimental market setting, this paper compares the effects of a variety of auction mechanisms for allocating subsidies for carbon emissions reduction in China. Besides the conventional auction mechanisms, this discussion paper place particular focus on testing the actual performance of the auction mechanism proposed by Erik Maskin (2011). The authors find that, while the Maskin auction mechanism spends the most from a fixed subsidy budget and leads to the largest emissions reduction, its per-unit emissions reduction cost is higher than that of discriminatory and uniform-price auction mechanisms. Both the Maskin and uniform-price auctions outperform discriminatory auctions in price discovery. Furthermore, from the government’s perspective, the Maskin auctions exhibit the strongest improvement tendency with repeated auctions.
Uncertainty about the future is an important determinant of well-being, especially in developing countries where financial markets and other market failures result in ineffective insurance mechanisms. However, separating the effects of future uncertainty from realised events, and then measuring the impact of uncertainty on utility, presents a number of empirical challenges. This paper aims to address these issues and provides supporting evidence to show that increased climate variability (a proxy for future income uncertainty) reduces farmers’ subjective well-being, consistent with the theory of optimal expectations (Brunnermeier & Parker, 2005 AER), using panel data from rural Ethiopia and a new data set containing daily atmospheric parameters. The magnitude of our result indicates that a one standard deviation (7%) increase in climate variability has an equivalent effect on life satisfaction to a two standard deviation (1-2%) decrease in consumption. This effect is one of the largest determinants of life satisfaction in rural Ethiopia.
Committee on Environmental Policy (CEP) invited the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) and UNEP secretariats, in close consultation with relevant stakeholders, including ministries, business and civil society, to prepare an updated report on progress and future prospects in greening the economy in the pan-European region and to include in the report additional chapters on the identification of priorities for greening the economy in the region and possible modalities and options to achieve that (ECE/CEP/2013/2, para. 116 (g) (iii)). The present report attempts to respond to the CEP request and aims at facilitating discussion by CEP. CEP will be invited to consider the issue of greening the economy in the region, including further steps and actions necessary to advance it.
Long-lived infrastructure is inherently exposed to climate risks through its longevity, irreversibility and high initial capital cost. Major transport infrastructure is often designed for a lifetime measured in many decades and may be operational in a future climate that will be significantly different to the historical climate commonly used for planning and design. This policy brief focuses on port infrastructure in sub-Saharan Africa. It investigates the climate change risks, the use of climate services in decision-making and makes recommendations for actions to enhance the resilience of port infrastructure. It summarises a more comprehensive paper prepared to support the scoping phase of the Future Climate for Africa (FCFA) programme for the ports sector.
The cities of Accra in Ghana and Maputo in Mozambique currently face many development challenges, such as poor transport and drainage infrastructure, as a result of inadequate planning regulation and law enforcement. These weaknesses in governance and service provision already have profound implications for people’s livelihoods. Climate change is likely to lead to flooding and coastal erosion in these cities, which will compound these development challenges. As part of the Future Climate for Africa (FCFA) scoping phase, the authors assessed whether and how future climate information is being used to guide the planning and delivery of development programmes in the two cities. Methods included a desktop study, a preliminary survey and a participatory workshop in each city. In the process, a recently developed ‘co-exploration’ workshop methodology was further refined. The workshop, held in Accra in June 2014, explored how multiple risks and stressors create vulnerability for city residents, using Dansoman in Accra and Costa do Sol in Maputo as test cases.
This policy brief highlights key findings from the FCFA Zambia pilot case study regarding how current and future climate science can enable development and humanitarian policy, planning and implementation that is climate smart and robust to projected changes in the medium to long term. The findings are based on activities undertaken by the Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Centre between February and October 2014, in close collaboration with the Met Office Hadley Centre and the Zambia Red Cross Society. These activities included a literature review, scientific research, two multi-sector, multi-stakeholder workshops and a high-level meeting with key representatives from government, civil society, the Met Office and the private sector.
Climate change is altering the context in which decisions are made. In order to remain robust and sustainable within the context of a changing climate, policy and planning decisions need to take into account the projected changes in temperature, rainfall and extremes. In order for climate scientists to generate useful future projections, they need to understand what weather and climate information decision-makers need. This policy brief highlights key findings from the FCFA Malawi pilot case study regarding how current and future climate science can enable development and humanitarian policy, planning and implementation that is climate-smart and robust to projected climatic changes in the medium- to long-term.
Current climate variability and extreme events have already lead to major impacts in Rwanda. These include floods and landslides, but also the effects of rainfall variability on agriculture, e.g. soil erosion and droughts. Future climate change has the potential to exacerbate these impacts and to introduce new risks. These impacts have been recognised and are being integrated into national policy. In 2011, Rwanda launched a National Strategy for Climate Change and Low Carbon Development, and the country now has an operational climate and environment fund (FONERWA, named after its French acronym). It is also mainstreaming climate change into national and sector development plans. The focus of early adaptation in these policies has been on addressing current climate variability and the existing adaptation deficit. However, there is an increasing interest in future climate challenges over the medium to long term. This will require improved information and its effective use in decision-making, and this aligns with the objectives of FCFA. Against this background, the FCFA pilot study investigated the current and potential future use of climate information for adaptation in Rwanda.
This policy brief focuses on large hydropower infrastructure in sub-Saharan Africa. It investigates the climate change risks and the use of climate services in decision-making and makes recommendations for actions to enhance the resilience of hydropower schemes. It summarises a more comprehensive paper prepared to support the scoping phase of the Future Climate for Africa (FCFA) programme for the hydropower sector.