Application of payments for hydrological ecosystem services to solve problems of fit and interplay in integrated water resources management

This article assesses the role of payments for hydrological ecosystem services for integrated water resources management within the water–energy–food nexus. Current challenges of implementation are structured according to spatial fit and institutional interplay. An empirical analysis of several case studies of locally self-organized payments for hydrological ecosystem services in Nicaragua reveals potential contributions to operationalization of integrated water resources management and the water–energy–food nexus