Priority areas for implementing payments for ecosystem services focused on water, carbon and biodiversity

Abstract

Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) are fundamental for granting biodiversity protection and climate, hydrologic controls. However, temporally and spatially descontinued PES programs may compromise its effectiveness, being necessary a strategic planning for implementation. In this context, the present project aim to develop a methodology to identify priority areas for implementing PES programs based on environmental and socioeconomic factors. The priority areas are going to be traced where benefits are maximized on three spheres: biodiversity, water and carbon. Therefore, It will be applied the participative technique for selection and atribution of weights to the criteria, and the multicriterial approach for aggregation. The three maps for priority areas will be merged on a single one to evaluate congruences and trace plans and actions for implementing PES. Besides, maps will be overlayed with fundiary information and land use for rural properties, including native vegetation deficit or exceeds, low agricultural suitability pastures, regeneration potential, Nascentes Program database, priority areas for the basin committee e others related for soil use, which were not applied for the criteria. The results will provide important data for a strategic planning focusing on implementing PES programs at hydrographic basins at São Paulo State. (AU)