Conservation in Focus: Capturing the Payments for Ecosystem Service (PES) Scheme through Ecotourism Activities in Laos

In the Nam Et-Phou Louey National Protected Area (NEPL-NPA) in the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic (PDR), the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has deployed nature-based tourism activities as a market-mechanism for species conservation. After initially entering the country to increase a low tiger population, WCS since launched three programmes that aim to incentivize wildlife conservation by linking wildlife sightings by ecotourists with cash payments. Due an unpredictability in sightings, WCS has integrated infrared camera-traps into two programmes, similarly generating additional income to local communities for each wildlife photographed. While market-based governance schemes have been championed by environmental institutions, this thesis provides evidence that such processes are messy, variegated, and produce questionable results. Crucially, this thesis argues that the PES-ecotourism project spearheaded by WCS imposes a regulated market to replace a pre-existing market in wildlife trade, demonstrating that the process of value creation via commodification also requires a devaluation via decommodification.