Incentives for climate mitigation in the land use sector – the effects of payment for environmental services (PES) on environmental and socio-economic outcomes in low- and middle-income countries: a mixed-method systematic review

Snilsveit and colleagues examine evidence from 18 economic incentives-based payment for environmental services programmes to understand the effectiveness on environmental and socio-economic outcomes. The meta-analyses suggest they may increase household incomes, reduce deforestation, improve forest cover, and improve environmental outcomes substantially in some contexts. However, the findings are based on evidence of low or very low quality and need to be interpreted with caution. The authors identified several context, design and implementation factors that can influence the programmes’ effectiveness, including careful targeting of programme participants, their full participation, and the need for strong government structures.