Enabling Conditions to Foster Success in National Programmes: Conditional Transfers—Experiences, Lessons and Challenges

Ina Porras, senior researcher at the International Institute for Environment and Development, shared experiences between poverty and environmental experts, policy makers and researchers, and across geographies on how conditional transfers are used to protect or restore fragile ecosystems and vulnerable groups. Instruments used include behavior incentive-based with conditionality attached (e.g., payments for ecosystem services or PES, eco-compensation) and public work schemes (i.e., job creation conditional to satisfactory environmental works). Among the enablers for success of conditional transfers are (i) net political gain; (ii) financial sustainability; (iii) smart and efficient institutions; (iv) cost-effective enforcement, monitoring and evaluation; and (v) well-defined property rights.