Science at UM [S03-ep18]: Evaluating Payments for Environmental Services

[Podcast] - Published on March 7, 2024 in Science and Society

This week on *A l’UM la science*, we’re discussing REDD+ initiatives aimed at reducing deforestation. We’re in Brazil with Gabriela Demarchi, an economist at the Moisa Laboratory. The report takes us to Baillarguet, on the roof of the Ecotron, with Damien Landais, head of the Macrocosme platform. A program broadcast every Wednesday at 6 p.m. on Divergence-FM 93.9.

Forests cover 31% of the Earth’s land surface. But what exactly is a forest? According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), forests are:“areas of land covering more than 0.5 hectares, with trees reaching a height of more than 5 meters and a forest cover of more than 10%.” ” Of course, they are found on every continent and in both hemispheres, but also on the particularly striking cover of the latest issue of LUM, the University’s science and society magazine, titled for this occasion *The Call of the Wild*.

Throughout these pages, we invite you to join us on a journey to discover these incredible ecosystems. From the far north of Canada to the lush mangroves of French Guiana, from the small islands of the Pacific to here in mainland France, all forests share one thing in common: they are struggling—and in some cases, severely so—due to climate change, megafires, cyclones, droughts, and human exploitation. The trees are struggling, as is the biodiversity they support. In this issue, we tell you about the iconic Pyrenean bear, the wild boar, and even tiny ants. We also tell you about the Bakas, a people in Cameroon who are trying to survive between logging companies and nature reserves.

Between 1990 and 2020, deforestation alone led to the loss of 420 million hectares of forest—roughly seven times the size of France. This massive loss of green space is something that international organizations are trying to stem through initiatives such as the Green Climate Fund and the European Green Deal. One of these flagship programs is REDD+ for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.  

Gabriela Demarchi is an economist. After completing her dissertation at CEE-M on the evaluation of REDD+ programs in Brazil, she is now continuing her research at the Moisa Laboratory.

In the second half of the program, we head tothe Ecotron at the Baillarguet site for a new series of reports. We start with the Macrocosmes platform, and Damien Landais, its manager, gives us a tour.

At UM Science, you’ve got the program—let’s get started!

Co-production: Divergence FM / University of Montpellier
Host: Lucie Lecherbonnier
Interview: Aline Périault / Lucie Lecherbonnier
Reporting: Aline Périault, Lucie Lecherbonnier
Editing: Lucie Lecherbonnier

Tune in to the show “A l’UM la science” on Divergence FM 93.9

Keywords: Science at UM, Research, Science, Company