Lesson Learned from nearly two decades ofimplementing PES for Tropical Forest in Costa
Rica
Héctor Arce Benavides
San José, Costa Rica.
TOKYO, Japan , 4 – 02 -2015

Total Area 51,100 km2
Population 4.872.166

70% land use capability Forest•Some General Information
52.000 kms 2
5 millions inhabitants
GDP per capita US$ 10.000 per year
Main economical activities
Tourism
Traditional products banana, coffee,
pineapples
Services technology

Challenges
Relationship between forest and poverty
persists

Cobertura
Forestal 52.4%
Exactitud General(10 Clases)= 91.3 %(2 Clases) = 93.4 %Where we come from?

1986. Act 7032.
CAF (titlessecurities) andreforestation
programs.

1977 Act 6184
Government
supports
reforestation; 2%of resources for1969
agricultural credit
First Forestry Act
income tax reforestation;
forest recovery
programs.
Forest Service

1996. New
Forestry Act.
Creating
1990. Forestry Act. Fonafifo; as theTax forest; Forest
entity financing
Fund - Forestry
the forestry
Development
sector throughProgram; National credit and PES
Board of Forestry.

Forest Cover Evolutions
1997
42%
198721%
1977
31%
1960
75%

2005
51%

Cobertura
Forestal 52.4%
Exactitud General(10 Clases)= 91.3 %(2 Clases) = 93.4 %THE PILLARS OF THE PES PROGRAM

Legal
Framework

Institutional

Financial

Monitoring

Framework

Framework

Activities

PES Main Achievements• More than 1,000,000has
under PES.
• More than 5 600 000
planted trees• More 13 500 families.
• More than $400 millions
investment• More than 130,000 has inindigenous territories withan investment of more than
$ 45 million.
• Generate employment

Lesson learned• Political will is required.
• Institutions and governanceschemes required• Robust monitoring mechanisms
required• Financing sources are required forlong-term• A legal framework is required• Clarity of proprietary rights ofland, forests and environmentalservices.
• At least in Costa Rica's PES
comes after an evolution of public
policies for most than 40 years.

Lesson learned•

PES is an effective instrument forstop illegal logging and land usechange.

•PES a REDD mechanism paid withlocal funds.

•Participation of Private Sector isimportant. In Costa Rica will
provide more than $ 18 million.

•The PES should be a replicable
instrument.

•PES is a concept that must evolve
over timeChallenges• Legal limitations of somelandholders to join theprogram.
• Better measure the impactof PSA.
• A better accounting torecall
theeconomical
importance of the PES
and the importance of theforestry sector in general.
• Moreresources
arerequired to meet all thedemand• Incorporate the concept oflandscapeChallenges• How to keep forest
coverage improving
benefits for ruralcommunities.
• How to reducepoverty

Redd + in Costa Rica
• 2008 Selected by the FCPF
• 2010 Readiness Preparation Program wasapproved by the Committee of Participants• 2013 LOI commitment Costa Rica and FCPF tosale/buy up to US$ 63 Millions as far as Costa
Rica meets the agreed requirements.
• This amount will be paying for results.

REDD in Costa Rica
• It seems that is unfair a program that finances
the preparation, but that does not finance theimplementation.
• Under these conditions it will be very difficult
for small tropical countries implement REDD +Thank you
harce@fonafifo.go.cr
www.fonafifo.go.cr