Análise institucional do mecanismo de pagamento por serviços ambientais: o Projeto Conservador das Águas em Extrema – MG

Abstract

Economic incentive mechanisms are being accessed by public policies to promote environmental conservation. The environment services payment is one of these, and in Brazil the Water Conservation Project in Extrema - MG is its prominent case. The paper analyses how the trajectory and inter-institutional relations determinated the existence and development of this project, considering the advances and limitations of this case for the mechanism’s effectiveness. It concludes that the project creation influenced formal and informal institutions and promoted inter-relationships among keyactors and stakeholders which were fundamental to the achieved results . The political stability, technical experience, the interest and personal dedication of its founder, along with a central management were essential aspects to the project’s existence. However, there are limitations and concerns that the mechanism leads to economic reductionism to deal with complex problems that concerns to the relations between society and environment.