Follow the money: Understanding the Latin America and Caribbean mangrove restoration funding landscape to assist organizations and funders in improved social‐ecological outcomes

Abstract

Recent attention to mangroves' social-ecological benefits has increased funding for restoration projects. Despite such proliferation, little is known about the mangrove restoration funding landscape. To examine multiscale funding flows and relationships to restoration organizations and their project characteristics, we analyzed 115 surveys completed by the Caribbean and Latin American project managers. We categorized funder types by scale and type (e.g., International NGO) and projects as supported by in-country, out-country, or both funders. We identified relationships between funder type/scale and organization/project characteristics (e.g., size, inclusion of community information), which we illustrate using Sankey diagrams. Most funders were from the Global North (n = 165/275), primarily in the United States (n = 65) or broadly at the international scale (n = 59); however, Mexican funders were also prevalent (n = 35). Projects were mostly funded by out-country (n = 43), then both (n = 36) and in-country (n = 26). While similarities existed among funder type/scale and organization/ project characteristic trends, notable exceptions existed (e.g., foreign government supported larger projects), which we detail and contextualize. We conclude with recommendations for funders and organizations, which include ways funders can better support projects using best practices (e.g., community engagement) and managed by smaller organizations, as well as ways organizations can better target funding based on their organization and project characteristics.

Rise and Fall of Caribbean Mangroves

“…In the case of Caribbean mangroves, this assessment may be quantified, as these ecosystems originated ~50 million years ago and, if current loss rates are maintained, they may disappear in barely half a century. Given the importance of mangroves for terrestrial and marine biodiversity and ecology, as well as for climate change mitigation, the preservation of these ecosystems has been considered a priority in the Caribbean region and a number of local and regional conservation and restoration initiatives have been undertaken that have contributed to alleviate the situation, although they have been insufficient to revert the regional trend toward mangrove loss and fragmentation (Barker, 2002;Polidoro et al, 2010;Lacerda et al, 2019;Bryan-Brown et al, 2020;Grimm et al, 2022;Walker et al, 2022). According to Lacerda et al (2019), regional assessments and politically coordinated initiatives including the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) mangrove-bearing countries are fundamental for mangrove conservation and sustainable use.…”

Conservation philanthropy: Growing the field of research and practice

“…Two of the papers take a larger spatial and thematic view. Devkota et al (2023) trace funding flows across diverse donor types for biodiversity conservation in Bhutan, while Grimm et al (2023) analyze funding for mangrove restoration in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Bhutan study shows an example of a country that has achieved widely recognized conservation success despite relatively limited funding.…”

“…Devkota et al (2023) explore the unique sociopolitical factors that contribute to this dynamic, including strong proenvironmental norms and cultural foundation for conservation, prioritization of conservation in national policy, and higher selectivity in accepting external funding that is well matched to local agendas and culture. The study on mangrove restoration funding by Grimm et al (2023) teases apart relationships among funder type and the kinds of organizations, landscapes, projects, and stakeholder engagement they support. They develop specific recommendations for grantee organizations about where and how to seek funding, and for donors about how to better target their funding to support intended social–ecological outcomes.…”

Rise and Fall of Caribbean Mangroves

“…In the case of Caribbean mangroves, this assessment may be quantified, as these ecosystems originated ~50 million years ago and, if current loss rates are maintained, they may disappear in a few centuries. Given the importance of mangroves for terrestrial and marine biodiversity and ecology, as well as for climate change mitigation, the preservation of these ecosystems has been considered a priority in the Caribbean region and a number of local and regional conservation and restoration initiatives have been undertaken that have contributed to alleviating the situation, although they have been insufficient to revert the regional trend toward mangrove loss and fragmentation (Barker, 2002;Polidoro et al, 2010;Lacerda et al, 2019;Bryan-Brown et al, 2020;Grimm et al, 2022;Walker et al, 2022). According to Lacerda et al (2019), regional assessments and politically coordinated initiatives including the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) mangrove-bearing countries are fundamental for mangrove conservation and sustainable use.…”