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Opinions towards the water‐related Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) schemes: The stakeholders’ point of view
Author(s) -
Paletto Alessandro,
Báliková Klára,
De Meo Isabella
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
water and environment journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.437
H-Index - 37
eISSN - 1747-6593
pISSN - 1747-6585
DOI - 10.1111/wej.12697
Subject(s) - ecosystem services , business , recreation , groundwater recharge , payment , surface runoff , environmental resource management , externality , water conservation , environmental science , resource (disambiguation) , environmental planning , water resources , ecosystem , groundwater , environmental economics , ecology , computer science , finance , economics , engineering , computer network , geotechnical engineering , aquifer , biology
Sustainable forest management provides a wide range of water‐related ecosystem services (WES) fundamental for human well‐being such as groundwater recharge, runoff and water discharge to streams, soil erosion protection, and recreational opportunities. Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) promote sustainable forest management by reducing negative externalities. To implement PES schemes, many stakeholders with different interests and needs must be involved in the design and implementation process. The aim of this study is to investigate stakeholders’ opinions on the relationships between forests and water resources and the water‐related PES schemes in Italy. A semi‐structured questionnaire was administered to a sample of stakeholders. The results show that the most important WES provided by forests are soil erosion reduction, provision of habitats for different species, surface runoff reduction. The respondents emphasize the importance of regulating and supporting services, while they minimize the importance of cultural services related to the water resource.