REDD+ Beyond Carbon: Insights from a Community Payments for Ecosystem Services Project in Cameroon

Summary

This paper is an output of the Community PES in the Congo Basin project. We describe the project context and challenges, and discuss our insights and early outcomes of the project development process in relation to the themes of effectiveness, efficiency, equity and sustainability. We advance four-part argument about REDD+ and community PES, including that establishing and sustaining these sorts of projects in impoverished settings requires a significant initial investment in livelihood opportunities and institutional and capacity development, as well as a fundamental consideration of equity dimensions. If done right, PES may be a relatively efficient means of delivering performance-based aid directly to rural poor communities and helping reduce forest loss over the longer-term.