Assessment of a Pilot Payment for Environmental Services Project in the Dominican Republic and Recommendation for a National Program

A pilot project for payments for environmental services (PES) began in 2011 in the Yaque del Norte River Basin, the largest watershed in the Dominican Republic. This project was implemented by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources. A water utility and a parastatal hydropower generation utility agreed to make voluntary, multiyear commitments for payments to upland farmers who agree to conserve natural forest on their land or establish trees for coffee agroforestry. The conserved forest and established trees sequester carbon. The conserved forest and established trees sequester carbon.

The Ministry covered the administrative costs of the PES payments and provided technical guidance. The USAID-funded Fiscal Accountability and Sustainable Trade (FAST) Activity assessed the pilot’s public financial management practices, efficiency, effectiveness, equity, and financial sustainability and provided recommendations for a future national PES program. 

Join us on January 15, 2025, at 10:00am ET for a discussion of lessons learned from the pilot project and recommendations for a national program.