Achieved outcomes and impacts:
The project "Conservation and sustainable use of high Andean ecosystems in Peru through Payment for Environmental Services for rural poverty alleviation and social inclusion" is a project financed with a grant from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), through the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). The main objective of the project is to conserve high Andean ecosystems (grasslands, native forests and wetlands) in the upper basins of the Cañete and Jequetepeque rivers, through the implementation of Mechanisms for the Remuneration of Ecosystem Services (MERESE). At the end of the project's useful life, it is expected to have initiated conservation actions in at least 23,866 hectares of these ecosystems in both watersheds, and to have benefited 2,164 rural families. This project was implemented with the objective of popularizing MERESE in Peru.
Success factors and lessons learned:
The Single Registry of MERESE has helped organize the program and track proposed MERESE. The Single Registry helps identify ongoing initiatives, holds contributors and retributors accountable, and ensures that ecosystem conservation activities are occurring in optimal locations. Registration can be completed online or in person, which facilitates access to the program. Registration requires: a geo-referenced map of the location and extent of the ecosystem, a description of the source of the ecosystem service(s) that are part of the MERESE, a document that characterizes the structure and functionality of the ecosystem, which should include a description of its current condition, and a description of the ecosystem's management system.
