PAYMENT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES (PSA) AS AN INSTRUMENT TO INDUCE LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE: THE CONSERVATIVE PLAN FOR THE MANTIQUEIRA, MINAS GERAIS

Abstract

Environmental services are essential to guarantee economic and social development. To ensure the maintenance of these services, there are environmental policy instruments, such as Payment for Environmental Services (PSA in portuguese). PSA aims at transferring resources between social actors, aiming to create incentives with social interest in management of natural resources. The State of Minas Gerais is characterized by the pioneering movement of PSA mechanism in Brazil, called the Conservative Plan of Mantiqueira (PCM in portuguese), a proposal to strengthen environmental governance involving 284 municipalities in the Serra da Mantiqueira area of ​​influence. Seeking to understand the process of implementing the public environmental policy proposed by the PCM, a case study in the municipality of Inconfidentes (MG), from the perspectives of development and effectiveness of PES schemes around the notions of design and institutional interactions. A theoretical survey based on documentary analysis, literature review and specific legislation was carried out. The role played by the PCM's partner actors in the study area testified to the induction of local environmental governance and the plural insertion of public and private actors, demonstrating that governance has been increasingly considered in the planning, formulation and implementation of municipal environmental policies proposed by the PCM.