China - Sloping Lands Conversion Programme

This report describes the national government programme through which farmers MUST set aside erosion-prone farmland within critical areas of the watershed of the two largest rivers in China: the Yangtze and Yellow river (sometimes called Huanghe River). Compensation is given in cash and in-kind. Total investment is US $4.3 million per year

All that Glitters: A Review of Payments for Watershed Services in Developing Countries

This report reviews the current status of payments for watershed services in developing countries. It highlights the main trends in the evolution of these schemes, synthesising the available evidence on their environmental and social impacts, and drawing lessons for the design of future initiatives. The interest in payments for watershed services (PWS) as a tool for watershed management in developing countries is growing, despite major setbacks. This review identified 50 ongoing schemes, 8 advanced proposals and 37 preliminary proposals for PWS. A previous review published by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) on markets and payments for environmental services (Silver Bullet or Fools' Gold? (Landell-Mills and Porras 2002)) identified just 41 proposed and ongoing PWS schemes in developing countries, which suggests a considerable growth in interest in this approach

Mexico - National PSAH Programme

Describes a Mexican countrywide Payment for Environmental Services (PES) scheme investing earmarked water use fees into conservation of forest cover in priority areas for enhancement of hydrological resources. The PSAH programme is meant to catalyse the introduction of local schemes based on contributions from local water users that can be financially sustainable in the long term