EfD in Central America

The Environment for Development Program for Central America works for strengthening the research capacity and the interface between academia and policy makers in the quest for sustainable development.

Most recent publications

• central america rff usa | Forestry Payments for Ecosystem Services: Measurements with Impacts A promising concept that has received considerable attention, Payment-for-ecosystems- services has the potential to become a conventional environmental management tool. Alpízar F., A. Blackman, and A. Pfaff. 2007. "Payments for Ecological Services: Measurements with Impacts". Resources 165 Spring: 20-22.

• central america | Forestry Costa Rica’s Payment for Environmental Services Program: Intention, Implementation and Impact We evaluated the intention, implementation, and impact of Costa Rica’s program of payments for environmental services (PSA), which was established in the late 1990s. Payments are given to private landowners who own land in forest areas in recognition of the ecosystem services their land provides. Sanchez, A., A. Pfaff, J. Robalino, and J. Boomhower. 2007. Costa Rica's Payment for Environmental Services Program: Intention, Implementation, and Impact. Conservation Biology 21 (5) , 1165-1173.

• central america eeu sweden | Behavior ec. Parks & Wildlife Anonymity, Reciprocity, and Conformity: Evidence from Voluntary Contributions to a National Park in Costa Rica The purpose of this paper is to test the absolute as well as the relative importance of these three reasons for non-selfish behavior. This is done by conducting a natural field experiment on voluntary contributions to a national park in Costa Rica. Alpízar, F., F. Carlsson, and O. Johansson-Stenman. 2007. "Anonymity, reciprocity and conformity: Evidence from voluntary contributions to a natural park in Costa Rica". Journal of Public Economics, forthcoming.