Resumen
- Payment for Environmental Services (PES) has been analysed in many countries, but few studies address the influence of urban and rural characteristics on the perception of PES results. The aim of this study is to compare the perceptions of Mexican hydrological PES programme results in a peri-urban community close to Mexico City and in a rural community on Oaxaca state. Despite some similarities between the two communities, we find evidence of some differences in their peri-urban and rural characteristics, in their PES understanding, operation and effects. Those differences are related to individuals' close contact with natural resources in the rural area, opportunity costs, income diversification, and intermediaries. The reflections also suggest that it is important to analyse deeper the PES programme context, because there are differences in environmental, economic and social aspects that influence the effects of PES in terms of motivations, economics and institutional arrangements.