Overview

The city of Lijian, in southwestern China near the border of Tibet, has become an incredibly popular tourist destination with over 20,000 tourists per day.  However, the growth in tourism has put stress on local water resources that have already been impacted negatively by agricultural uses of pesticides.  The Natural Capital Project has chosen Lijiang to test a payment for ecological services project in conjunction with The Nature Conservancy and Conservation International. The hope for these organizations is that the Payment for Ecological Services project in Lijiang can serve as example for similar projects across China and the world.