1. Sowing Water Project: Payment for Environmental Services in the Cantareira-Mantiqueira Corridor

Project with the objective of structuring a functional model for Payment for Environmental Services in the Cantareira System. To this end, ecological and economic aspects related to this type of policy are researched.

In ecological aspects, both the influence of different forest gradients on the quality and quantity of water supplied to the Cantareira System and the loss of soil in the different occupations that predominate in this region (pasture, eucalyptus and forest) are evaluated. In economic aspects, the opportunity cost of the main agricultural activities (dairy, cutting and eucalyptus) and the willingness to receive/accept from rural owners to allocate part of their properties to reforestation are evaluated.

The project is financed by GIZ/KFW with the support of the Brazilian Biodiversity Fund (FUNBIO)

2. Embaúba Project: Recovery of Degraded Areas in the Cantareira-Mantiqueira Corridor

The project's main objective is to identify, based on landscape ecology criteria, the priority areas for the conservation of ecosystem services in the Cantareira System. IPÊ will also carry out an analysis of economic viability and ecological aspects (species diversity and forest connection) in several experiments to enrich areas undergoing natural regeneration in this same region.

The central idea is to contribute to public policy makers with strategies (economic and ecological) for the forest recovery of the Cantareira System and, with this, guarantee the provision of ecosystem services in this region.

The project is financed by the TFCA agreement (Tropical Forest Conservation Act) with support from the Brazilian Biodiversity Fund (FUNBIO)

3. Consolidation of protocols for monitoring Payments for Ecosystem Services Projects

The objective of this project is to evaluate, in technical, economic and operational terms, the best methodologies for monitoring and evaluating the economic, social and environmental impacts resulting from PES projects being developed in Brazil. To achieve this objective, we will review and systematize the main methodologies for monitoring ecosystem services that exist in Brazil and around the world. This work is carried out in partnership with ESCAS – Escola Superior de Conservação Ambiental e Sustentabilidade. It is financed by the Ministry of the Environment (MMA).

4. Working group for the revitalization of the Cantareira System Springs

This work's main objective is to prepare a proposal for priority actions for the conservation of the Cantareira System's springs. The idea is to be able to influence the establishment of obligations to recover the sources of the Cantareira System during the negotiations for the renewal of the water concession, scheduled for 2014. This group has the participation of a series of research institutions, NGOs, city halls and social actors operating in the Cantareira System.