The Mesoamerican Biological Corridor (MBC) project - funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) - is one of the most ambitious plans to bring conservation and sustainable development into the regional agenda. This initiative has both a political focus and a programmatic approach emphasizing biodiversity conservation, consolidation of the regional system of protected areas, community development, and communications.
A large, albeit incomplete, body of biological information has been assembled about the Mesoamerica hotspot. Several priority-setting exercises have been conducted using different kinds of filters (regional vs. national boundaries, broad vs. fine scope, and habitat vs. species focus). In 1995, under the auspices of a consortium including the Biodiversity Support Program, CI, The Nature Conservancy, Wildlife Conservation Society, the World Resources Institute and World Wide Fund for Nature (with financial support from USAID),
A Regional Analysis of Geographic Priorities for Biodiversity Conservation in Latin American and the Caribbean was published, defining regional habitat units and assessing their biological value, conservation status, and conservation priority level. Mesoamerica encompasses several of these ecoregions, and priority areas include the Darién and Peten forests; the forests of the southern Sierra Madre, Central American cloud forests, the forests of the Talamanca/Panama region; the Nenton zone; Caribbean pine forests; and the Central American dry forests, including the Motagua Valley of Guatemala.
Because this region has already undergone many stakeholder consultation processes and prioritization exercises, the development of this ecosystem profile involved very unobtrusive and targeted processes intended to secure consensus without duplicating priority-setting efforts. In 2000, the leading international conservation organizations in the region - including the World Wide Fund for Nature, The Nature Conservancy and CI - joined forces with recognized scientific experts, local NGOs, and the Mesoamerica Biological Corridor Project to identify regional conservation gaps and priority actions. This process originated as an independent effort, before the CEPF targeted the Mesoamerica region for investment. CEPF made a very small investment in this prioritization process; however, building on the results of this process constitutes a major element of the recommended focus for CEPF investment in this region, and will serve as a guiding framework for that investment. By supporting these results, CEPF has a unique opportunity to enhance protection of biodiversity in the region in a way that maximizes return on a small investment.
A rapid assessment of existing planning processes, coupled with targeted stakeholder consultations, led to the conclusions reported in this ecosystem profile. This analysis revealed a need to integrate broad regional initiatives with additional conservation activities on the ground. This ecosystem profile emphasizes the need to ensure civil society participation to expand the successful "building blocks of conservation" developed through 10 years of investment in the MBC through efforts to:
- develop a common vision for three corridors through targeted investment in existing civil society alliances;
- increase civil society efforts to connect protected areas;
- highlight flagship species through awareness campaigns for conservation; and
- support the management of protected areas.
In addition, a workshop was held in Managua, Nicaragua, in August 2001 to consult with experts working in most of the southeastern region of Nicaragua and border region with Costa Rica. More than 40 individuals participated, and their recommendations have been integrated into the ecosystem profile. During the development of the strategic themes outlined in the ecosystem profile, more than a dozen interviews were held with conservation leaders in Costa Rica and Panama to gauge priorities and seek advice. Despite efforts to analyze conservation successes and gaps in the region, CEPF has not attempted to assess in detail the impact or success of the entire MBC effort and the various initiatives supporting it over a decade of donor investment. Analysis of the GEF's $120 million investment in this region is required; however, it is not a logical undertaking for CEPF given the relative level of CEPF investment in the region.
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