Sostenibilidad y Efectividad de los Pagos por Servicios Ambientales en las Cuencas de los Ríos Cali y Meléndez del Distrito de Santiago de Cali

Abstract

One of the main problems of the hydrographic basins in Colombia is the degradation of ecosystems due mainly to the varied anthropic activity carried out. Among the set of solutions to this situation is the implementation of economic incentives for property owners to motivate them to modify their activities towards sustainable systems. The municipality of Santiago de Cali launched the implementation of various payment for environmental services – PSA – schemes between 2010 and 2020 to promote restoration and sustainable productive development in the region's hydrographic basins. This work analyzes the viability, sustainability and effectiveness of these schemes in the noted period. Based on the conclusions derived from the analysis, recommendations are made, with a view to its continuity in a viable scenario. For this purpose, the concepts of sustainability and effectiveness of PES schemes were defined. Regarding each concept, the variables that explain it were determined and a mathematical expression was constructed that allows it to be qualified. The data for each variable were obtained based on field work, surveys and information consultation among public institutions. The recommendations were proposed seeking their application in a feasible scenario, in a local context: population of beneficiaries with socioeconomic stratification between one (1) and three (3); owners, possessors or occupants of small and medium-sized property; predominance of agricultural activity for self-sufficiency or with marginal surpluses; location in areas of ecosystem fragility and with serious land use restrictions; and, finally, precarious governance of State institutions, among the most notable conditions. Additionally, any recommendation on PES schemes must be framed in the national policy of conservation incentives and its regulatory legislation, being relevant to highlight the provisions on the matter, which had as their apex Decree Law 870 of 2017 and its subsequent regulations with the decrees 1007 of 2018 and 1207 of 2018.