Potential of “payment for ecosytem services - PES” as an effective tool for water management of the Uluguru Watershed in Tanzania

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Date

2013

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Sokoine University of Agriculture.

Abstract

A study was carried out in the Uluguru watersheds from November 2011 to June 2012 to evaluate the potential of Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) to serve as an effective watershed management tool; and the results should be used for formulating policies and strategies for sustainable management of watersheds in the Uluruguru Mountains. The specific objectives were to assess the Willingness to Pay (WTP) for watershed services in the Uluguru Mountains; evaluate the Willingness to Accept Compensation (WTAC) of communities residing in the Uluguru Mountains for conserving watersheds, and assess factors which influence the WTP and WTAC for ecosystem conservation in the study area. A total of 120 households were covered. The Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) and its variant, the Choice Experiment (CE) constituted the key approaches to the study. The results of non­ parametric and parametric WTP indicated that the non-parametric approach yielded lower mean WTP estimates than the parametric approach even when compared with the univariate model. The mean WTP for the nonparametric approach was TZS 4200 compared to TZS 7500 and TZS 6600 for univariate and multivariate parametric analyses, respectively. Potential revenues from water charges for domestic uses in Morogoro Municipality, that could to fund the watershed management was estimated at TZS 31.99 million per month or TZS 383.92 million annually. The results of Choice Experiment (CE) showed that upstream farmers would need to be compensated at the rate of about TZS 100 000 per ha per year for developing terraces with 4 rows of trees and grass strips on 1% of their agricultural area. For a 1% increase of area containing terraces with 4 rows of trees and grass strips upstream farmers would need a compensation of more than TZS 400 000 per ha per year. Age and education revealed positive role in the willingness to adopt environmentally friendly practices under a PES. Key recommendations from the study include the need to carry out activities towards informing and educating the public about PES and its advantages. The public should be informed the various environmental services they benefit from. Likewise, binding agreements and a specific regulatory among service providers of environmental services need to be established to facilitate the implementation of compensation measures on a broader scale.

Description

The Degree of Master of Arts in Rural Development

Keywords

Payment for ecosytem services, Water management, Uluguru Watershed, Tanzania

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