Reconciling multiple ecological knowledge systemsin designing payments for watershed services in the uplands of Indonesia

Schemes for economic incentives (‘payments’) for
watershed services are emerging across Indonesia.
In four of them, we applied a rapid hydrological
appraisal method and can now reflect on the findings
and lessons we have learned.
Two of the study areas—in Singkarak, West Sumatra
province, and Sumberjaya, Lampung province—were
‘action research’ sites of the Rewards for, Use of, and
Shared Investment in Pro-poor Environmental Services
(RUPES Phase 2) project coordinated by the World
Agroforestry Centre Southeast Asia in collaboration
with local NGOs and governments. The other two
sites—in Kapuas Hulu, West Kalimantan; and Talau,
East Nusa Tenggara—were coordinated by the World
Wildlife Fund Indonesia in collaboration with the
consortium of Equitable Payment for Watershed
Services of CARE International and the International
Institute for Environment and Development.