Rewarding communities for keeping rivers clean? First steps in a river care program in West Lampung- Indonesia

Around 10% of the electricity produced in Indonesia is supplied by hydropower (EIA, 2004).Most of the hydroelectric plants depend on the regular supply of water from the surrounding watersheds. Storage lakes regulate the water flow and hydropower production. The active storage volume of many storage lakes is threatened by sedimentation. Thus, low sediment loads of the river are in the interest of hydroelectric companies. But, are these companies willing to pay for the service of keeping rivers clean Payment for environmental services (PES) is a new paradigm in conservation where ‘landowners and/or managers’ are compensated by outside beneficiaries for the environmental services they provide (Wunder, 2005). In the tropics, most PES mechanisms for watershed functions are based on the assumption that trees can provide more water but without clear proof of what are the specific services being provided. Also in the upper Way Besay Catchments (West Lampung, Sumatra, Indonesia) the National Electricity Company (PLN) exploiting a hydropower dam (PLTA) is worried about the often high sediment load and supposedly high siltation of the lake. In order to assess and reduce sediment load in the Way Besay and its tributaries, a river care program was started as collaborative activity between ICRAF, upland farmers and local government officers. The aim is to develop and implement a payment mechanism for upland farmer groups that are able to reduce the sediment level of the river.

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