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owners of forest lands, including rural communities and

indigenous peoples, in order to improve the effectiveness

of forest programmes in general.

Since 2003, CONAFOR has successfully implemented

a national Payment for Environmental Services (PES)

programme to compensate the owners of forest lands for the

actions taken for conservation, restoration and protection

of their forests that allow maintenance or improvements

to the provision of ecosystem services related to regulation

of the hydrological cycle, biodiversity conservation and

climate change mitigation. PES is financially supported by

resources collected through fees for water use (provided by

the National Water Commission), fiscal resources annually

allocated by the Congress and voluntary contributions by

direct beneficiaries of environmental services.

Since its beginning, PES has shifted from a passive conser-

vation scheme to one in which integrated land management

is promoted for its conservation in a compatible manner with

productive activities.

From 2003-2015, CONAFOR has invested over US$660

million to enrol over 5 million hectares in this innovative

protection scheme in order to maintain forests’ soil and

water protective functions and biodiversity conservation,

benefiting more than 7,652 ejidos, communities and small

landowners across the country.

In order to increase the flow of financial funds and

thus extend the area under PES, CONAFOR promotes the

matching-funds mechanism to involve the direct users of

environmental services in local schemes for compensa-

tion of forest landowners where the services are produced.

Currently, over 118 matching-funds agreements are signed

by CONAFOR and direct users of environmental services,

committing joint contributions of almost US$67 million.

Protecting water infrastructure through local

mechanisms of payment for environmental services

Sanalona reservoir, located in the Tamazula river 24 kilometres

from the city of Culiacan, began operation in 1948 to irrigate

95,000 hectares in the Culiacan Valley. In 1963, a hydroelectric

plant was established with a capacity to generate 14 megawatts of

power. The reservoir supplies drinking water to 675,000 people in

the Culiacan Valley and is a place of recreation and relaxation.

Concerned by the siltation of the dam due to erosion in the

recharge zone of the reservoir basin, in 2009 a group of citizens,

farmers, entrepreneurs, industrialists and water users formed an

organization called Fabricas del Agua Centro Sinaloa (FACES), to

promote actions for the hydrological restoration of watersheds in

central Sinaloa.

FACES signed a five-year collaboration agreement with CONAFOR

for the provision of matching funds to develop a local mechanism

of payment for environmental services, which would allow it to

finance forest restoration actions in the catchment basin of the

Sanalona reservoir.

Between 2009 and 2014, financial contributions to the project

were over US$940,000, of which over US$510,000 came

from farmer contributions, US$330,000 from CONAFOR and

US$100,000 from the Monsanto Foundation. The project generated

2,500 wages per year; 740,000 trees were planted; 500,000 cubic

metres of filter dams (stone and gabions) were built; and a nursery

with a capacity production of 200,000 plants was installed.

This project has directly benefited 120 people of the Imala

ejido and 200 temporal workers involved in fieldwork activities. It

indirectly benefited 314 ejido inhabitants. Social benefits include

construction of a multipurpose hall and a doctor’s room in the

health centre and the installation of roofing, libraries and air

conditioning in basic education centres. Environmental education

activities were conducted, aimed primarily at children to promote

improved solid waste management in order to prevent it from

reaching the reservoir.

FACES obtained the National Forestry Merit Award in 2014,

awarded by the Government of Mexico through the National

Forestry Commission in the category of Civil Society Organizations.

CONAFOR strengthens forest governance and promotes mechanisms for social engagement to support planning, consultation and dialogue

Image: National Forestry Commission archive

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