Watershared: Adaptation, mitigation, watershed protection and economic development in Latin America

The report examines the Watershared model, which uses local negotiations and non-economic incentives to encourage upstream landowners to protect forests for the benefit of downstream water users. Unlike national PES schemes, Watershared relies on social norms and local consensus, allowing participation from those without formal land titles and reducing bureaucratic overhead. In Bolivia, the model expanded from six farmers in 2003 to 4,500 families conserving 210,000 hectares by 2016. The approach is presented as a tool for climate compatible development, integrating mitigation through forest protection and adaptation through secured water supplies.

• Watershared agreements are grassroots, incentive-based conservation tools that use economic and non-economic incentives to encourage upstream land managers to protect water resources for downstream users.
• The model has seen significant growth in Bolivia; starting in 2003 with six farmers protecting 465 hectares, it grew by 2016 to include 4,500 families conserving 210,000 hectares across 40 municipalities.
• Watershared is more cost-effective than national Payment for Environmental Services (PES) schemes. For example, while Ecuador's Sociobosque pays up to US$60 per hectare, Watershared programs in Cuenca and Loja cost approximately US$20 per hectare, and costs in Bolivia can be as low as US$1.7 per hectare.

APA

Asquith, N. (2016). Watershared: Adaptation, mitigation, watershed protection and economic development in Latin America. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/CDKN-Bolivia-watershared.pdf

Chicago

Asquith, Nigel. Watershared: Adaptation, mitigation, watershed protection and economic development in Latin America. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2016. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/CDKN-Bolivia-watershared.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Asquith |first1=Nigel |title=Watershared: Adaptation, mitigation, watershed protection and economic development in Latin America |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=July 2016 |url=http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/CDKN-Bolivia-watershared.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{asquith2016watershared, author = {Asquith, Nigel}, title = {{Watershared: Adaptation, mitigation, watershed protection and economic development in Latin America}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2016}, month = jul, url = {http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/CDKN-Bolivia-watershared.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }