During the last decade, climate change has prolonged droughts and increased rainfall intensity, which has resulted in an increase in the number of flash floods and tropical storms. These events are affecting Costa Rica’s agriculture sector and are impacting the country’s food security. The main objective of this study was to evaluate farmers' local knowledge and perceptions about climate change and determine the impacts of the payment for environmental services (PES) programme on assisting farmers to integrate information and use innovative technologies to adapt to climate change. Research indicates that although climate change is affecting Costa Rican agriculture, there are adaptation strategies to help alleviate the negative impacts. Farmers in two geographical areas were interviewed to evaluate their integration of climate change information into land management practices. The two areas were Esparza, in the northern part of the province of Puntarenas, and Durika, in southern Puntarenas, Costa Rica. Farmers interviewed in Esparza were chosen based on their involvement in a PES project developed by Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigacíón y Enseñanza (CATIE). Farmers in Durika were chosen because they practice sustainable agricultural techniques that more formally integrate climate change information. Results showed that the PES project was a successful approach to encourage farmers to adapt to climate change. Farmers in Durika and Esparza mentioned the importance of financial incentives combined with improved knowledge and understanding of climate change to encourage adaptation. Important adaptation strategies implemented in Esparza included the use of agroforestry, Brachiaria spp. grasses, water conservation and protection, and supplements. Based on the success of CATIE’s project combined with comments made from farmers in Durika, recommendations are made to improve this project and extend information into the rest of the country.

During the last decade, climate change has prolonged droughts and increased rainfall intensity, which has resulted in an increase in the number of flash floods and tropical storms. These events are affecting Costa Rica’s agriculture sector and are impacting the country’s food security. The main objective of this study was to evaluate farmers' local knowledge and perceptions about climate change and determine the impacts of the payment for environmental services (PES) programme on assisting farmers to integrate information and use innovative technologies to adapt to climate change. Research indicates that although climate change is affecting Costa Rican agriculture, there are adaptation strategies to help alleviate the negative impacts. Farmers in two geographical areas were interviewed to evaluate their integration of climate change information into land management practices. The two areas were Esparza, in the northern part of the province of Puntarenas, and Durika, in southern Puntarenas, Costa Rica. Farmers interviewed in Esparza were chosen based on their involvement in a PES project developed by Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigacíón y Enseñanza (CATIE). Farmers in Durika were chosen because they practice sustainable agricultural techniques that more formally integrate climate change information. Results showed that the PES project was a successful approach to encourage farmers to adapt to climate change. Farmers in Durika and Esparza mentioned the importance of financial incentives combined with improved knowledge and understanding of climate change to encourage adaptation. Important adaptation strategies implemented in Esparza included the use of agroforestry, Brachiaria spp. grasses, water conservation and protection, and supplements. Based on the success of CATIE’s project combined with comments made from farmers in Durika, recommendations are made to improve this project and extend information into the rest of the country.

Employee turnovers have been challenging and costly for most organizations. Organization leaders are concerned with employee turnover due to the high cost of training replacements. Grounded in Burns's model of transformational leadership, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to identify strategies hospital managers used to reduce Environmental Services (EVS) employee turnover. The participants consisted of 5 EVS managers with recruiting and hiring responsibilities from the Piedmont Triad and Research Triangle Park of North Carolina who experienced EVS turnover, yet implemented effective leadership strategies to retain workers. Yin's 5 stages of data analysis were used to analyze data collected through semistructured interviews, company documents, and note taking. Four themes emerged from the analysis: communication, leadership, training and development, and employee engagement and productivity. The implications for positive social change include the potential for stakeholders to effectively use strategies to improve retention and turnover, decrease the unemployment rate, increase the growth of the organization, and increase employee productivity and patient safety. Positive social change may lead to better opportunities for employees and provide prosperity for families and communities.

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2001. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains viii, 95 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 69-70).

Plantation forests ecosystem functions provide a range of indirect benefits known as forest services. There is lack of knowledge and estimation of the value of forest services.The main aim of the research was to investigate the environmental and social value of plantation forests in New Zealand. Each step of the research was built up on the perspectives of the stakeholder groups identified. A stakeholder analysis revealed that the most relevant stakeholder group was Adjacent neighbours. Through a postal survey forest managers and stakeholders indicated they considered as most relevant Erosion control and Water regulation (quality and quantity) Employment, Increased living standard, and Recreation. These services became the focus for the rest of the study. Through focus groups, the most relevant stakeholder groups, identified and ranked positive and negative aspects in forestry, and selected attributes describing the forest services. These were: Amount of sediment in water (water quality), Algae in water (water quality), Percentage of land stabilisation (erosion control), and Level of water flow (water quantity). The attributes for the attitudinal questions were classified as Community, Employment, and Recreation. The environmental value of plantation forests was estimated through choice modelling. The valuation survey was carried out only in Hawke's Bay. The payment vehicle used was increased regional council rates with the objective of monitoring environmental quality of soil and water. Several models were estimated by adding interactions between variables. Model 15b was selected as it provided best model fit and integrated respondents' demographic and attitudinal characteristics. The results of the model indicated that respondents who had university studies and positive attitude towards plantation forest community values were more willing to pay for improved levels of land stabilisation. The implicit prices estimated indicated that the wider community in Hawke's Bay have a greater appreciation for water quality (lower levels of algae and sediments). The responses to the attitudinal questions indicated that most respondents had positive attitudes towards the community and practical uses of plantations and employment-related values, particularly older respondents. The environmental and social values identified were linked with forest operations in order to analyse the impact they have. Land preparation and planting, road construction, and harvesting are the forest operations that have a greater impact on the levels of sediment in water.

Payments for Environmental Services (PES) is a method of attaching market value to environmental benefits which have typically not been valued in the marketplace. This thesis investigates the impact of the government hydrological services program in two communities in Oaxaca, Mexico. Using interviews, semi structured and household surveys, I investigate the effect the PSAH has had in alleviating poverty and increasing social capital in the communities as well as investigate willingness to accept (WTA) payment for additional PES programs. The PES payments put household incomes above national poverty lines. Social capital improved both within and between communities. WTA for additional PES depends on the use of the land in question. Overall, participation in the PSAH has had a positive impact in both communities.

Conventional nonpoint source pollution policies encourage the adoption of conservation practices to reduce nonpoint source pollutants by paying a portion of the cost to install best management practices. Alternative financial incentive programs, such as payment for environmental services (PES) programs, aim to improve program effectiveness by paying directly for the quantity of environment services provided, but implementing PES programs to reduce nonpoint source pollution has been challenging given the costs and technical feasibility of measuring pollutant outcomes. Bioreactors, engineered sinks that convert biologically available forms of nitrogen into an inert form (N_2), have recently been proposed to treat and remove legacy nitrogen from springs (Easton et al., 2019). Since nitrogen removal can be directly measured, there is potential to implement an outcome-based PES program. Little information exists on the costs and risks sellers face under such a program or the impact of contractual conditions. This research applies Monte Carlo simulation to a case study bioreactor in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed to estimate the financial risks and rewards to N removal service providers under different outcome-based PES contractual conditions. Results indicate that under a fifteen-year contract term and price of $25/lb/yr of nitrogen removal, outcome-based PES for denitrifying bioreactors has a high chance of generating positive financial outcomes for a commercial size case study bioreactor that removes an average of 1,279 lbs of N annually. / Master of Science / Conventional policies to reduce diffuse water pollutants encourage the adoption of conservation practices to reduce diffuse water pollutants by paying a portion of the cost to install remedial practices or technologies. Payment for environmental services (PES) programs, an alternative to conventional policies, aims to improve program effectiveness by paying directly for the quantity of environment services provided. However, implementing PES programs to reduce diffuse water pollution has been challenging given the costs and technical feasibility of measuring pollutants and outcomes of remedial efforts. Bioreactors, engineered sinks that convert the diffuse water pollutant nitrogen into a non-pollutive form, have recently been proposed to remove legacy nitrogen from springs (Easton et al., 2019). Using bioreactors, nitrogen removal can be directly measured, so there is potential for an outcome-based PES program. Little information exists on the costs and risks sellers face under such a program or the impact of contractual conditions. This research applies financial simulation to a case study bioreactor in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed to estimate the financial risks and rewards to N removal service providers under different outcome-based PES contractual conditions. Results indicate that under a fifteen-year contract term and price of $25/lb/yr of nitrogen removal, outcome-based PES for denitrifying bioreactors has a high chance of generating positive financial outcomes for a commercial size case study bioreactor that removes an average of 1,279 lbs of N annually.

Os serviços ambientais são o tema de discussão desta tese, que apresenta análise de casos brasileiros de projetos de pagamentos por serviços ambientais (PSA), dando ênfase a casos de PSA-Água e PSA-Carbono. Os projetos são analisados sob a ótica da Nova Economia Institucional (NEI) com percepção analítica em diversos aspectos, como arranjos institucionais, ambiente institucional, remuneração pelos serviços ambientais, fontes de financiamento, e monitoramento da prestação dos serviços. Da análise dos projetos, identificou-se que todos são de existência recente, por isso os dados disponíveis são escassos. Na maioria dos arranjos institucionais desses projetos, há participação de entidades públicas e privadas, e uma significativa participação de recurso público em seu financiamento. Os projetos apontam os potenciais benefícios à sociedade e ao meio ambiente e suas possíveis limitações. A identificação das restrições na fase inicial do projeto é importante, pois permite que sejam evitadas ou, ao menos, minimizadas, otimizando a alocação dos recursos a ele destinados. Percebe-se que são projetos promissores, razoavelmente estáveis em sua maioria, com potencial de evolução, eficazes e eficientes no tocante ao emprego dos recursos direcionados aos financiamentos. Os critérios analisados nesses projetos podem ser aplicados a outros similares, da mesma forma como as lições depreendidas podem subsidiar a estruturação e a gestão de futuros projetos de PSA. Por fim, é fundamental consignar que o mercado de serviços ambientais só funcionará de forma eficiente com a presença de arranjos institucionais que atendam à demanda específica desses serviços. / Environmental services are the topic of discussion of this thesis, which presents case studies of Brazilians of payments for environmental services (PES) projects, emphasizing the cases of PSA and PSA-Water-Carbon. The projects are analyzed from the perspective of New Institutional Economics (NIE) with analytical insight into aspects such as institutional arrangements, institutional environment, compensation for environmental services, funding sources, and monitoring of service delivery. Analysis of the projects, it was identified that there are all recent, so the data available are scarce. Institutional arrangements in most of these projects, there is participation of public and private entities, and meaningful participation in public resource funding. The projects show the potential benefits to society and the environment and their possible limitations. The identification of constraints in the initial phase of the project is important as it allows them to be avoided or at least minimized by optimizing the allocation of resources allocated to it. Realize that they are promising projects, mostly fairly stable, with potential for development, effective and efficient with respect to employment of resources directed to financing. The criteria analyzed in these projects can be applied to other similar, just as the inferred lessons can support the structuring and management of future PES projects. Finally, it is essential to establish that the market for environmental services only work efficiently with the presence of institutional arrangements that meet the specific demand for these services.

Os serviços ambientais são o tema de discussão desta tese, que apresenta análise de casos brasileiros de projetos de pagamentos por serviços ambientais (PSA), dando ênfase a casos de PSA-Água e PSA-Carbono. Os projetos são analisados sob a ótica da Nova Economia Institucional (NEI) com percepção analítica em diversos aspectos, como arranjos institucionais, ambiente institucional, remuneração pelos serviços ambientais, fontes de financiamento, e monitoramento da prestação dos serviços. Da análise dos projetos, identificou-se que todos são de existência recente, por isso os dados disponíveis são escassos. Na maioria dos arranjos institucionais desses projetos, há participação de entidades públicas e privadas, e uma significativa participação de recurso público em seu financiamento. Os projetos apontam os potenciais benefícios à sociedade e ao meio ambiente e suas possíveis limitações. A identificação das restrições na fase inicial do projeto é importante, pois permite que sejam evitadas ou, ao menos, minimizadas, otimizando a alocação dos recursos a ele destinados. Percebe-se que são projetos promissores, razoavelmente estáveis em sua maioria, com potencial de evolução, eficazes e eficientes no tocante ao emprego dos recursos direcionados aos financiamentos. Os critérios analisados nesses projetos podem ser aplicados a outros similares, da mesma forma como as lições depreendidas podem subsidiar a estruturação e a gestão de futuros projetos de PSA. Por fim, é fundamental consignar que o mercado de serviços ambientais só funcionará de forma eficiente com a presença de arranjos institucionais que atendam à demanda específica desses serviços. / Environmental services are the topic of discussion of this thesis, which presents case studies of Brazilians of payments for environmental services (PES) projects, emphasizing the cases of PSA and PSA-Water-Carbon. The projects are analyzed from the perspective of New Institutional Economics (NIE) with analytical insight into aspects such as institutional arrangements, institutional environment, compensation for environmental services, funding sources, and monitoring of service delivery. Analysis of the projects, it was identified that there are all recent, so the data available are scarce. Institutional arrangements in most of these projects, there is participation of public and private entities, and meaningful participation in public resource funding. The projects show the potential benefits to society and the environment and their possible limitations. The identification of constraints in the initial phase of the project is important as it allows them to be avoided or at least minimized by optimizing the allocation of resources allocated to it. Realize that they are promising projects, mostly fairly stable, with potential for development, effective and efficient with respect to employment of resources directed to financing. The criteria analyzed in these projects can be applied to other similar, just as the inferred lessons can support the structuring and management of future PES projects. Finally, it is essential to establish that the market for environmental services only work efficiently with the presence of institutional arrangements that meet the specific demand for these services.

A erosão hídrica é a principal causa de degradação do solo em ambientes tropicais e subtropicais úmidos e a perda da camada superficial do solo é o maior desafio para sustentabilidade da agricultura no mundo. Ela afeta a qualidade e o volume dos corpos d\'água e diminuí a qualidade dos solos. Apesar disso, o mercado não é capaz de corrigir estes problemas em razão da sua característica de bens públicos (não-exclusividade e não-rivalidade). Assim, o controle da erosão agrícola gera um serviço benéfico para toda a sociedade, mas os seus custos são exclusivamente dos agricultores. Pagamentos por Serviços Ambientais - PSA são mecanismos de compensações em que os beneficiados pelos serviços pagam os seus provedores. PSA são mecanismos promissores para o financiamento da proteção ambiental e podem complementar as atuais regulações. Entretanto, a literatura atual ainda é limitada em termos de quantificação dos serviços gerados, da sua demanda e sua viabilidade econômica. Este estudo analisa a viabilidade econômica de esquemas de PSA para o controle da poluição hídrica advinda da agricultura no Brasil. O objetivo específico do estudo é estimar ofertas de Serviços Ambientais - SA de conservação do solo. As ofertas de SA foram estimadas para áreas de cana-de-açúcar (na Bacia do Rio Corumbataí) e horticultura (na Sub-Bacia Cabeceiras do Tietê) utilizando uma metodologia de dados mínimos. As ofertas foram estimadas para diferentes práticas agrícolas, permitindo a comparação da eficiência das diferentes práticas na produção do SA. No caso da cana, a implantação e manutenção de florestas nas APPs mostrou-se a prática mais eficiente. Gastos de R$150,00/ha/ano com esta prática conservam cerca de 140.000 Mg de solo, enquanto o mesmo gasto aplicado na prática de não utilização das APPs conserva 70.000 Mg. Os resultados indicam que existe potencial para aplicação do modelo como forma de integrar as políticas públicas agrícolas com as ambientais. O estudo mostra que a adoção de práticas com maior produção de SA depende de incentivos. Nas condições atuais elas não são atrativas na medida em que geram menores retornos aos agricultores. Os incentivos podem ser através de subsídios das práticas adequadas, estímulo à demanda de produtos ambientalmente amigáveis ou pagamentos diretos pelos SA produzidos. / Water erosion is the main cause of soil degradation in tropical and sub-tropical environments and top soil loss is the biggest challenge for sustainable agriculture in the world. It affects water quality and quantity, and decreases soil quality. Despite this, the market is not able to solve these problems because of their public good characteristics (non-rivalness and non-excludability). Agricultural pollution control by farmers is a service society free rides because only farmers pay its costs. Payments for Environmental Services - PES schemes are flexible mechanisms in which providers of these services get paid by their users. PES schemes are considered to be promising mechanisms for financing environmental protection and restoration as well as for complementing and enforcing regulations. However, most of the on-going schemes don\'t use studies to quantify the services produced, to analyze the demand for them, or to check the schemes\' economic viability. This study analyses the economic viability of PES schemes in order to control the agricultural pollution of water resources in Brazil. The specific objective is to estimate the Environmental Services - ES of conservation soil supplies. These supplies were estimated for sugar cane (Corumbataí Watershed) and horticulture areas (Tietê Cabeceiras Subwatershed), using a minimum-data model. The supplies were calculated for different practices, so it is possible to compare the different practices\' efficiency to produce ES. For the sugar cane area it is more efficient to plant trees in the riparian buffer zones. Paying 150 reais per ha per year produces 140.000 Mg of conserved soil through tree planting, while with the same amount, the exclusion of the riparian zones from cultivation produces approximately 70.000 Mg. The results show this model can be applied as a way of integrating agricultural and environmental public policies. It was concluded that incentives are necessary to make the farmers adopt the practices that produce ES, because they are not economically feasible under current market conditions. The incentives could be either subsidies for these practices, fostering the demand for environmental friendly products, or direct payments for the ES produced.