Social property relations and payment for environmental services : a case study in a rural community in Mexico
This article presents a case study centred on the rural community of Chichila, Mexico, which has implemented a local project of payment for environmental services to the neighboring town of Taxco. Mexican legislation recognizes different types of property rights related to water, forest and land and, likewise, recognizes the importance of conserving natural resources like forest and water while making use of the environmental services they can offer. This study is a qualitative approach, which shows how direct control of natural resources helps local people in the community to construct an idea of property and their own concept of environmental services. Both ideas are legitimized by the direct or indirect involvement of local agents in these projects, but at the same time bring to light conflicting interests between different actors at the regional level. This is because the process of appropriation of natural resources leads to confusion due to the overlapping of different property rights and the confluence of different, and divergent, political and legal institutions. keywords: social property relations, payment for environment services, environmental services, water management, rural community. Raktažodžiai: socialiniai nuosavybės santykiai, mokestis už aplinkosaugos paslaugas, aplinkosaugos paslaugos, vandens isteklių valdymas, kaimo bendruomenė.