Read the following passage carefully:
'To mitigate increasing urban water supply deficits without constructing costly mega-dams, several municipal authorities in developing agrarian regions have proposed Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) schemes. Under these initiatives, downstream municipal utility tariffs are marginally increased to directly compensate upstream farming communities for adopting soil-conservation and afforestation practices that reduce catchment erosion and stabilize seasonal water flows. Proponents emphasize that PES creates a self-sustaining financial mechanism that aligns urban consumption with ecological stewardship. However, critics caution that traditional PES models often overlook property rights ambiguities in upland watersheds, where smallholders frequently cultivate communal or customary lands without formal titles. Unless municipal authorities establish legally binding sub-agreements that distribute PES compensation through local community trusts rather than requiring individual land deeds, these conservation incentives will fail to secure widespread adoption among actual land tillers.'
Which one of the following is the most crucial assumption underlying the author's recommendation for overcoming property rights ambiguities in PES adoption?
- Land tillers operating on customary lands without individual titles are willing to engage in PES conservation practices if compensation is routed through local community trusts.Cevap
- BUpstream soil erosion and agricultural runoff are the primary drivers of municipal water deficits in developing agrarian regions.
- CMega-dam construction projects inevitably result in severe social displacement and ecological destruction in upland watershed areas.
- DIndividual land titling systems are entirely ineffective at promoting sustainable agricultural practices across developing nations.