Participation, Anticipation Effects and Impact Perceptions of Two Collective Incentive-Based Conservation Interventions in Ucayali, Peru

Abstract

Interventions simultaneously addressing poverty alleviation and nature conservation are commonly used to reduce tropical deforestation. We examine the determinants of participation in and land use and livelihoods impacts of two such interventions in Ucayali, Peru, using quasi-experimental methods and self-reflexive evaluations (perceptions). Both interventions were evaluated at an early stage of implementation, thus any effects are characterized as anticipation effects. The first is a local REDD+ project led by an NGO, and the second is the Peruvian’s government National Forest Conservation Program (NFCP). We find that household participation is negatively associated with baseline agricultural income and positively associated with market access and previous experiences with interventions. Comparisons of matched participants and non-participants offer no evidence of anticipation effects on livelihoods or land use. Self-reflexive evaluations indicate that a total of 82% of the NFCP participating households perceive a positive effect on wellbeing, while 39% of households perceived the REDD+ project to have a positive impact. The differences in perceptions between the projects is attributed to design and implementation factors, including delayed payments, lower transparency, and limited participation in program development. The study brings forward the importance of considering self-reflexive evaluations to identify possible ‘intangible’ effects on wellbeing of conservation programs.

Keywords: Deforestation, REDD+, Payments for Ecosystem Services, Rural livelihoods, Impact evaluation