Gyore Natural Recreation Forest (Image courtesy of Jeju Province)
JEJU, Jan. 12 (Korea Bizwire) – Jeju Island in South Korea is set to fully implement a new program designed to compensate local residents and landowners who contribute to the preservation of the island’s natural environment.
The initiative will soon be recruiting participants, following the establishment of implementation guidelines. These guidelines include setting an hourly wage of 15,000 won for activities like removing invasive species as part of the Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) program.
The PES program is designed to reward local residents or landowners who engage in activities that maintain ecosystem services in Jeju’s unique natural areas such as ‘oreum’ (small volcanic hills) and ‘gotjawal’ (forests).
According to Article 16 of the ‘Act on the Conservation and Use of Biodiversity’, the government or local governments can provide fair compensation to those who enter into contracts under the PES system, although Jeju’s approach diverges notably from the standard practices observed in other regions.
In most other localities, the PES system focuses primarily on bird conservation efforts, encompassing activities such as wetland preservation and reservoir management. While there exist 22 recognized activity categories, in practical terms, only endeavors directly tied to bird conservation are eligible for financial support. Participation is largely confined to landowners, managers, and occupants.
In contrast, Jeju’s rendition of the PES system considerably broadens the scope of its application and expands the participating demographic.
Within Jeju, the system delineates 25 distinctive categories, surpassing the national standard of 22. Jeju’s unique categories encompass endeavors such as the establishment of odor-reduction facilities in livestock operations, the curbing of livestock manure production, as well as ecological exploration, interpretation, beachside environmental rehabilitation, and the safeguarding of coral reefs and coastal ecosystems.
Beyond these activities, eligible recipients of ecosystem service payments within Jeju encompass land rehabilitation for fallow terrain, the cultivation of eco-friendly crops, the reservation of crops for the sustenance of wildlife, wetland and meadow development and maintenance, the eradication of disruptive species, biodiversity conservation and management, and efforts dedicated to the upkeep and stewardship of hills and forests.
Crucially, Jeju’s PES system extends participation privileges to not only landowners, managers, and occupants but also welcomes village communities and local residents into its fold. It is worth noting that several pilot projects have already been undertaken in nine villages throughout the province this year.
To facilitate the program’s implementation within the province, Jeju has outlined a comprehensive framework within a new ordinance, addressing compensation criteria, inspection parameters related to project timelines and execution, the establishment and operation of relevant committees, and the establishment and outsourcing of support centers.
Jeju’s government has already earmarked funding of 460 million for the initiative this year.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
