Dissecting the complexity of Cidanau watershed governance through payment environment services and non-payment environment services

The objective of this study is to examine the implementation of a combined scheme involving payment environment services (PES) and non-payment environment services (non-PES) in the management of the Cidanau River Basin. This study used exploratory research to analyse the structure and mechanism of PES and non-PES schemes for the governance system. The Cidanau Watershed governance is a pioneer in sustainable integrated water resources management in Indonesia and has persisted until the present time. The governance of the Cidanau Watershed is dynamic, resilient, and evolving in response to various changes in social and ecological systems. A bridging organisation like the Cidanau Watershed Communication Forum (Ind.: Forum Komunikasi DAS Cidanau - FKDC) requires legal standing to be visible and gain the trust of the public, especially when implementing a PES approach like the Cidanau River Basin, where service buyers utilise non-direct payment mechanisms. The challenging aspect of developing a PES scheme is empowering knowledge regarding the importance of soil and water preservation among upstream communities, particularly in developing countries like Indonesia, where upstream communities are predominantly composed of low-income farmers whose livelihoods depend on nature. The non-PES scheme represents the government’s mandatory responsibility, whereas the PES scheme presents public participation in active collaboration through the FKDC as an ad hoc institution. A combination of the non-PES and PES scheme approach can serve as a model and reference for similar river basin governance frameworks. Further research is needed regarding social networks and institutional development of sustainable watershed governance in the Cidanau River Basin.