Title
Payment for ecosystem services and poverty reduction in Rwanda
Author(s)
G. Andrew & Michel Masozera
Publisher
Journal of Sustainable Development in Africa
Abstract
Two of the biggest challenges facing Rwanda today are reducing poverty, especially among rural households, and protecting the ecosystems, which provide essential services that support activities, such as subsistence agriculture, collection of safe drinking water, and the harvesting of forest products. Combining these two objectives is not easy and there are numerous pitfalls to effective policy design. This paper explores the possibilities of linking the growing interest in payments for ecosystem services (PES) mechanisms with alleviating poverty of smallholder farmers of Rwanda. Specifically, the potential of PES programs for carbon offsets, water quality enhancement, and biodiversity are analyzed to identify key challenges and opportunities for successful implementation. To have a positive impact on rural farmers, a main recommendation is the integration of PES programs with other rural development initiatives in order to avoid contradictory policies and actions in rural development and land use planning. Programs also need to be tailored to the specific economic challenges faced by smallholder farmers.
Keywords
Environment, Rwanda, Poverty

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