Exploring the Practicability and Applicability of Payment for Ecosystem Services in the Protection of Samoa’s Selected Watershed Areas

Abstract

There is mounting evidence of studies conducted throughout the Developed and Developing world on the practicability and sustainability of implementing Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) schemes particularly in relation to Watershed conservation and mangrove forest protection. There is a strong correlation between watershed conservation and mangroves protection, particularly in a small island state such as Samoa, where human activities in the watersheds can impact directly on the social–economic welfare of coastal communities and the marine resources they depend on. PES is a tool used to measure the economic value of ecosystem services provided by the natural environment. This study is a contribution to existing PES studies, focusing on the practicability of a PES program to protect and manage Samoa’s watershed areas in the upland ridges extending to the coastal communities in the Apia urban area. The Vaisigano watershed is the study site selected to demonstrate what is happening in the watershed, justify the introduction of a PES scheme for water conservation, identify strengths and weaknesses of a PES scheme and concludes with a suite of suggested pathways for a PES model in Samoa. The Vaisigano watershed is a critical water source for the Apia coastal community.