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News

Feb
2012

Mountains, roads and RUPES: what’s water worth?

It’s always quite thrilling to drive along a mountain range, isn’t it? Apart from the scary (and also exciting) thought of possibly plunging over the edge of a sheer precipice, there are the magnificent views of forests, farmland, watercourses, waterfalls, towns and villages and high peaks with dramatic lighting effects. more detail

Feb
2012

Mountains, roads and RUPES: what’s water worth?

Robert Finlayson the Research Communications Specialist of World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) wrote on IFAD Asia blog about RUPES Project on SWOMM (Scientific Workshop on Mountain Mobility & Transport). Conference held on 14 December 2010 by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Rome. more detail

Feb
2012

Mountains, roads and RUPES: what’s water worth?

Jan
2012

Can homemade video help improve farmers’ livelihoods and protect the environment in Vietnam?

I recently had the great privilege of travelling with World Agroforestry Centre Vietnam office Communications staff to the beautiful Ba Be Lake in the northwestern uplands of Vietnam. Ms Nguyen Ngoc Huyen, Communications Officer with the Vietnam office, and I were testing whether it would be possible for non-professional filmmakers, such as ourselves, to make a short video documentary for the RUPES project. more detail

Oct
2011

Right investment in environmental services can lead to poverty reduction

Scientists recommend realistic, conditional, voluntary and pro-poor rewards for environmental services and find that in-kind payments may be more beneficial than cash.

more detail

Jul
2011

Third Southeast Asia Regional Workshop on Payments for Ecosystem Services

The 3rd South-East Asia Workshop on Payments for Ecosystem Services:Investment in natural capital for green growth. Held in Banda Aceh, Indonesia on June 12-14, this workshop is co-organized the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), the Asian Development Bank-Environment Operations Centre (ADB-EOC), and hosted by BAPEDAL NAD and the ESCAP 3PESA project. The workshop was part of an international series, with previous events held in Thailand and Vietnam. more detail

Jun
2011

Gender Analysis Study

Gender is on spotlight, some studies on gender acknowledge the importance of gender aspect. The studies including one from RUPES sites in Indonesia and Philippines which is completed and will be published soon. more detail

Jun
2011

User-pay system to sustain forests and livelihoods in Vietnam

Liza Fitzgerald in Transformation Biweekly: the World Agroforestry Centre newsletter

This year, with the backing of a new government policy, the World Agroforestry Centre in Vietnam will pilot some of the first payments to poor village communities in north-east Vietnam for the environmental services their forests provide. more detail

Jun
2011

Environmental Services and Forest Carbon Markets article

Can environmental markets provide real environmental and social benefits? Are the original objectives still valid? Why so much passion and outcry? What changed?

Meine Van Noordwijk from the World Agroforestry Centre, who led the early research and testing of RUPES, answered these questions posed to him in the forest carbon Asia article, "Forest carbon markets:Critical or evil?"

Follow the link below for the complete article: http://www.forestcarbonasia.org/articles/forest-carbon-markets-probing-the-perceptions-and-objections/ more detail

Mar
2011

Minister of Forestry’s expert staff visits the RUPES site in Nagari Paninggahan, West Sumatra

In March, 2011, Dr Ir Yetti Rusli MSc, Forest Development Expert of the Minister of Forestry’s office, together with staff from the Ministry of Forestry and the Forestry Extension Agency, visited the RUPES’ voluntary carbon market (VCM) site at Nagari Paninggahan, Junjung Sirih subdistrict, Solok district, West Sumatra. more detail

Mar
2011

Smallholder Goat Breeding for Sustainable Conservation Program

The rolling goat initiative may support the land conservation activities… How does this initiative support the land conservation…?? more detail

Jan
2011

ICRAF-RUPES and MARS Symbioscience: Exploring the potential of collaborative research and development

more detail

Dec
2010

The view from the roof of the world

First regional meeting for a groundbreaking environmental services’ project covers six countries more detail

Nov
2010

COMMITEES WORKSHOP 2010: Synergy of Government Regulation Draft and Its Learning in Indonesia

COMMITTEES (Community of Interest to Empower Environmental Services), supported by World Agroforestry Centre Southeast Asia (ICRAF-SEA), Institute for Social and Economic Research, Education and Information (LP3ES), World Wildlife Fund – Indonesia (WWF Indonesia), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and Ford Foundation, held workshop on Reduce Emission from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) and Rewards for Environmental Services (RES) titled “Synergy of Government Regulation Draft and Its Learning in Indonesia”, with Forest Resear more detail

Sep
2010

Powerful Reward for Erosion Control

The story of how a government-owned organization and the community came together to solve an environmental problem in the uplands of Sumatra, Indonesia is now providing a model for similar projects across the country and internationally. more detail

Sep
2010

Environmental Services Scheme across Administrative Boundaries?

Implementation of environmental services rewards mechanisms across villages? Districts, regencies? Or even provinces? Is it possible? more detail

Sep
2010

Watershed Conservation Proposal Writeshop, an Empowering Tool

One of the most important requirements in order to have funds coming from the hydro-electric power companies (HEPC) for the purpose of rehabilitating and conserving the watersheds is to submit a proposal to them. more detail

Aug
2010

Outputs from the 3rd Philippines PES Conference-Workshop for Download

Manila - The 3rd Philippines National Conference-Workshop on Payments for Environmental Services (PES) with the theme "PES for Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation" was successfully organized last week (August 12-13, 2010). more detail

Aug
2010

Is Rubber Agroforestry Profitable? How Potential is Rubber Eco-certification?

A study on “Eco-certified Natural Rubber from Sustainable Rubber Agroforestry in Sumatra, Indonesia,” has just recently been concluded by the World Agroforestry Centre – ICRAF SEA Program Office. more detail

Aug
2010

Ambassador’s Visit to RUPES Action Research Site in Bac Kan

On the 6th and 7th of July 2010, the Australian Ambassador to Vietnam, His Excellency Mr. Alaster Cox, visited RUPES Project action research site in Bac Kan Province. The Ambassador was accompanied by Mr. Geoff Morris – the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) Country Manager for Vietnam, the World Agroforestry Centre Vietnam – RUPES Project technical team, Mr Hoang Van Giap (the Project Director) and team members of the 3PAD, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) funded Pro-Poor Partnerships for Agro-forestry Development Project in Bac Kan. more detail

Jul
2010

IFAD Supervision Mission to RUPES Project

Laura Puletti of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) visited Indonesia from July 1st to 8th to meet RUPES project management team and visited the project’s research sites. Once a year, IFAD organizes supervision missions to discuss with partners implementation progress and challenges of grants programmes in line with IFAD mandate that include, among others, focus on: pro-poor participatory approach, targeting, gender mainstreaming as well as monitoring and evaluation. more detail

Jul
2010

Another New Hope: Speeding Up PES Development in the Philippines

RUPES-ICRAF Philippines and partners are at the final preparation for the 3rd National Conference-Workshop on Payments for Environmental Services (PES) which will be on August 12-13 at Lancaster Hotel of Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila. The event will focus on PES for Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation. more detail

Jul
2010

What are the differences between 3E framework and VRCV?
What are the differences between 3E framework (effective, efficient and equity) and the RUPES frame (Voluntary, Realistic, Conditional and Pro-poor)? Ever coming across both frameworks and wondering how they match? Dr Meine van Noordwijk, former RUPES Project Coordinator and currently Global Science Advisor of the World Agroforestry Centre, drafted the following answer to the question. more detail

Jun
2010

Experiences in Carbon and Water Payments in the Philippines

RUPES-ICRAF Philippines scientists, Dr Rodel Lasco and Grace Villamor, wrote an article portraying the experience of the Philippines in payments for carbon storage and watershed protection in a recently published book “Sustainability Science for Watershed Landscapes” by the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) and Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA). more detail

Jun
2010

Government Recognizes Pioneering Environmental Service Initiative at Cidanau

Rekonvasi Bhumi, RUPES partner organization in Banten, has been awarded Indonesia’s highest environmental award or Kalpataru in recognition of its work to protect and preserve Cidanau swamp lake. The Kalpataru was presented by the President of Indonesia in conjunction with World Environment Day, June 5. The Government of Indonesia has since 1980 awarded individuals and groups pioneering environmental protection and preservation actions. more detail

May
2010

IFAD Newsletter Issue 32: May-June 2010

The latest issue of IFAD Newsletter 'Making a difference in Asia and the Pacific' focuses on adaptation of climate change. Some examples of IFAD’s work on adaptation in the region are presented, including the work of RUPES (Asia) and PRESA (Africa), two research projects on environmental service coordinated by the World Agroforestry Centre under the support of IFAD. more detail

May
2010

CALL FOR PAPER: Philippines PES National Conference

The Philippines Technical Working Group on Payments for Environmental Services (PES TWG) is organizing the Third PES Conference Workshop on August 12 – 13, 2010 in Metro Manila, Philippines. You are invited to submit proposal for presentations. Download. more detail

May
2010

Cidanau Waiting for the Governor Decree

“We expect the Governor Decree on Integrated Cidanau Watershed Management will have already been in force by June this year,” said Rahadian, RUPES Cidanau action site leader. The final draft is now being discussed between the Forestry and Estate Crops Service and the Legal Bureau of the provincial government before signing by the Governor of Banten. more detail

May
2010

Be Fair to People and the System will Last

“To guarantee long-term sustainability of a payment or reward for environmental service (ES) project, the principle of equity must be embedded in project design. If we want a system that pays people to look after the environment and we want to make sure that the system lasts, then fairness has to be built into the system from the start.
more detail

Apr
2010

Implementing RES Schemes in China: Some Challenges

China’s program of offering rewards for ecosystem services is growing rapidly, but whether such programs support sustainable livelihoods is unclear. In places like Yunnan Province’s Songhuaba watershed, the programs often cause more community and environmental stress than they relieve. more detail

Apr
2010

RUPES Welcomes Collaboration between ICRAF-SEA and MAFF

A potential collaboration between the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF-SEA) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) of Cambodia, is now being discussed to explore ways agroforestry and rewards for environmental service mechanisms can support the preparation and implementation of the Cambodia’s National Action Plan to combat land degradation and other key environmental concerns. more detail

Mar
2010

RUPES on the IFAD's Rural Poverty Portal

An article about RUPES Program was published some time ago on the Rural Poverty Portal. Powered by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Rural Poverty Portal is a website where rural poor people, policy-makers, donors, research institutes, non-governmental organizations and other development partners can share information about eradicating rural poverty. more detail

Mar
2010

Understanding Land Use Dynamics through a Game

Imagine a landscape covered by rubber agroforests and patches of forests and paddy field. The majority of inhabitants are farmers producing latex from rubber agroforests. They also make living by planting rice or collecting timber and fruits from the nearby remaining natural forest. Lately, pressure to convert rubber agroforests to monoculture plantation is increasing. A palm oil company agent promises benefits. A logging company for pulp wood and paper also wants to log forest for an attractive price. more detail

Mar
2010

Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation: Ikalahan Forest Carbon Development

By KLM 3 Social Reporters: Emma Abasolo, ICRAF and Vherna Castilla, NMCIREMP Originally published at http://ifad-un.blogspot.com/2009/11/climate-change-mitigation-and.html more detail

Mar
2010

Ivan Bond, Former RUPES ISC Member Passed Away

We learned with great sadness today the death in late February of Ivan Bond, an IIED senior scientist serving as member of the RUPES International Steering Committee during the project’s phase 1 (2003-2008). We remember Ivan for his humour, sound judgment, interest, curiosity and advise. more detail

Mar
2010

RUPES On Air: Green Talk on Green Radio, Jakarta

Last Friday (5/3) between 3 to 4 p.m., RUPES was on the Green Talk, a radio program where government and non-governmental organizations as well as private companies can talk about various issues related to environmental protection. Green Talk is aired 5 times a week on 89.2 FM by Green Radio, a Jakarta based radio station boasting as the only radio station in Indonesia broadcasting programs focusing environmental protection issues and activities. more detail

Feb
2010

RUPES Concept Orientation for the CHARM2 Project

The Cordillera Highlands Agricultural Resource Management Phase 2 (CHARM-2) Project sponsored the Orientation for the Rewarding Upland Poor for the Environmental Services (RUPES) Concept last January 7-8, 2010 at the Pines View Hotel in Baguio City, Philippines. more detail

Feb
2010

The Philippines PES-TWG Officially Formalized

The Philippines’ Payments for Environmental Services Technical Working Group, also known as PES-TWG, held a meeting early this year at the office of the Forest Management Bureau (FMB) at Diliman, Quezon City, which highlighted the formal signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for strengthening the collaboration among PES stakeholders in the country. more detail

Feb
2010

International Journal of the Commons: Much Needs to be Done!

The editors’ introductory article to the latest issue of the International Journal of the Commons (IJC) indicated that the journey is still a long one to arrive at claiming environmental services payment/reward mechanisms to favor both the poor and the environment. It is not to say there is no hope but one needs to be aware of the many aspects to consider when using the scheme to achieve conservation and livelihood goals. more detail

Jan
2010

FSSP Newsletter (Vol.26-27) on Payment for Forest Environmental Services

“The implementation of pro-poor rewards or payments for environmental services in Vietnam requires a multi-sector approach,” concluded RUPES researchers in a newsletter recently published by FSSP or Forestry Sector Support Partnership, a government and donor collaboration to provide support to the development of forestry sector in Vietnam. more detail

Jan
2010

Must Read: Mountain Forum Bulletin (January 2010 Issue)

Mountain Forum presented "Payments for Environmental Services (PES) in Mountain Areas" as the focus in its latest bulletin. more detail

Dec
2009

Philippines PES-TWG Getting Prepared for the New Year Challenges

The Philippines’ Payments for Environmental Services Technical Working Group, also known as PES-TWG, held a last meeting for 2009 early this December at the office of Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) at Diliman, Quezon City. The meeting was focused on the finalization of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for strengthening collaboration among PES stakeholders in the country. more detail

Dec
2009

Environmental Service Rewards for Conserving Dieng Plateau

Situated in Central Java province, administratively within 3 different districts (Pekalongan, Banjarnegara, and Wonosobo), Dieng Plateau is famous for its beautiful landscapes. Lakes, forest, waterfall and craters are most attractive tourism objects for not only people from the surrounding areas. Local and international tourists are also interested to visit many old Hindu temples found scattered in the area. However, the plateau inhabitants cannot enjoy the full economic benefits of Dieng tourism. more detail

Dec
2009

Cambodia Eyes PES as Alternative to Tackle Environmental Problems

“Like in other countries, the need and interest for agroforestry, including payments for ecosystem services (PES), are now growing in Cambodia,” said Grace Villamor, RUPES Research Fellow. She was in Phnom Penh from 16 to 23 of November to organize and attend a round table discussion among key government and university officials to explore ways to enhance research and capacity building options to support the preparation and implementation of Cambodia’s National Action Plan to Combat Land Degradation (NAP-CLD). more detail

Dec
2009

RHA and RaCSA Training in the Context of PES in Nepal

In line with the increasing interest in payment for environmental services (PES) for natural resources management, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in collaboration with the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) Southeast Asia Regional Program organized a training on Rapid Hydrological Appraisal (RHA) and Rapid Carbon Stock Appraisal (RaCSA) tools. The training was hosted by ICIMOD and conducted from October 26th – 30th 2009 in Hotel View Bhrikuti, Godavari, Nepal. more detail

Dec
2009

Reducing Emissions from All Land Uses (REALU) Workshop, Vietnam

On November 4, 2009 the World Agroforestry Centre Vietnam, together with the General Department of Land Administration (GDLA) of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MONRE) organized a consultation workshop on Reducing Emissions from All Land Uses (REALU). This workshop is one of the activities in Vietnam for the NORAD funded ASB-ICRAF project from July 2009 – July 2010. more detail

Nov
2009

RHA and RaCSA Training: All that You can Expect!

From 5 to 9 of October, forty people from various parts of Indonesia were in Ciawi, West Java, to participate in a training on RHA (Rapid Hydrological Appraisal) and RaCSA (Rapid Carbon Stock Appraisal) organized by the World Agroforestry Centre - Southeast Asia Program. “They are government officials, NGO staff, researchers and academicians, our project partners from Aceh, Kuningan, Banten, Wonosobo, Padang, and Bogor,” explained Rachman Pasha, RUPES Socio Economic Researcher helping organizing the training. more detail

Nov
2009

Leimona: Rights, Authority and Power in Relation to Carbon Emission

“Carbon emission reduction scheme has led to the concept of ‘carbon rights’ as a new area for contest and cooperation,” said Beria Leimona, from the World Agroforestry Centre at the International Conference on Legal Pluralist Perspectives on Development and Cultural Diversity, Zurich, Switzerland, in early September 2009. more detail

Nov
2009

RUPES Concepts to Help Protecting Orangutan Habitat in Batang Toru

Endri Martini of the World Agroforestry Centre - Southeast Asia Program shared RUPES experience at a multi-stakeholder workshop last June in Medan aimed to identify potential long term funds for orangutan conservation in the Batang Toru forest of North Sumatra, Indonesia.

more detail

Nov
2009

Centre participates in ASEAN Conference on Biodiversity

The recent ASEAN Conference on Biodiversity 2009 provided an opportunity for the World Agroforestry Centre to showcase its work at one of the region's most important gatherings for the year. "We were able to highlight our work in climate change and biodiversity conservation to a wider audience," said Dr Rodel Lasco, Senior Scientist and Philippine Programme Coordinator for the Centre. more detail