Resource information
The Latin America and Caribbean Region
has been at the forefront of global biodiversity
conservation, dedicating 20 percent of its land to protected
areas compared to 13 percent in the rest of the developing
world. This progress has stretched available budgets for
conservation with estimates indicating that a twofold
increase would be necessary to achieve optimal management of
existing protected areas based on 2008 data. Recognizing the
importance of this financing challenge, this document
presents examples of how the region is successfully
exploring news ways and sources of finance for biodiversity
conservation. It is intended as an input to the global
discussions on biodiversity financing drawing from a
selective review of concrete experiences where governments
are tapping nonpublic finance sources in effective
partnerships. The cases reviewed point to common features
contributing to their success: (i) variety in arrangements;
(ii) enabling legal and institutional support; (iii)
capacity based on record of experience; (iv) building social
capital; (v) clarity about conservation objectives; (vi)
strong government leadership in guiding biodiversity
conservation policies and programs.
