CASE STUDY #2
Payment for Ecosystems Services in Madagascar
THE CHALLENGE
Supported by international donors, Madagascar has become a leader in the creation of payment for ecosystem services (PES). However, despite the possibility of deriving benefits from PES, local communities have not always succeeded in taking an active role in managing natural resources. Our client needed support to understand why communities might be reluctant to engage with PES interventions, and then to design a community-driven strategy to overcome these barriers.
THE SOLUTIONS LAB APPROACH
Our international research team employed a mixed methods approach to conduct an Applied Political Economy Assessment (APEA). As part of the assessment, we worked in collaboration with the country project team to prepare for the research. Our work included designing an intensive APEA workshop, and the coordination of vital stakeholder consultations with line ministries, policy makers, local government officials, donors, and partner organizations working on conservation, biodiversity, and tourism.
We also conducted a series of in-depth key informant interviews and focus group discussions with forest-reliant communities, remote marine-reliant villages, and groups focused on building ecotourism to support economic development and conservation.
THE RESULT
The CBNRM policy was found to be undermined in critical areas by mistrust of the government, and perceptions of unequal treatment under the law. Research uncovered that high levels of local corruption also undermined community trust in critical intermediaries. Working with our partner, we designed a set of actionable recommendations to foster trust and inclusion among community-based organizations. Reimagining community involvement with PES schemes at multiple levels created an opportunity to circumvent corrupt practices. Research uncovered sensitive findings but recommendations engaged community, local and regional governments to support the client’s high-level objective of national policy reform.