Understanding investment in biodiversity conservation in Mexico

Abstract

Documenting financial resources in biodiversity conservation is a key aspect worldwide in order to set priorities and use effectively the limited resources available. In Mexico, a megadiverse country, studies on financial resources invested in biodiversity conservation are scarce and do not address funding for conservation comprehensively. Using recent data from several sources and applying criteria based on the national priorities for conservation, we compiled, systematized and analyzed data at a national scale on financing sources, financial resources and conservation organizations and their projects. The information obtained is presented in various ways and part of it (case study) is already an information system that can be continuously up-dated. Some of the results show the following: a steady diversification of mechanisms and methods for raising funds for conservation; an increase in governmental budgets; the acknowledgment by the private sector of the importance of biodiversity conservation; a greater technical capacity in people and organizations working in conservation; a greater accessibility of financial resources to support and maintain conservation projects; yet a short term vision in conservation projects; among other. Although the results obtained through this study are a first approach, they can now be used as a baseline to continue gathering and analyzing information on conservation financing in Mexico.

Biodiversity conservation funding in Bhutan: Thematic, temporal, and spatial trends over four decades

“…Funding levels for biodiversity conservation in Bhutan have ranged from $0 to $20 million annually over the past four decades, with the exception of a spike in 2017. Spatially, the average annual funding for biodiversity conservation was $159/km 2 in Bhutan, which puts it between the results of the only two other in-country funding mapping studies of which we are aware: $219.55/km 2 for Mexico (Salcido et al, 2009) and $105.06/km 2 for Peru (Nakamura, 2017). Additionally, existing studies have identified Bhutan as one of the most underfunded countries (Waldron et al, 2013) and modeled shortfalls of the funds needed for biodiversity conservation (e.g., McCarthy et al, 2012 estimate that the annual cost of conservation action for threatened bird species in Bhutan is between USD 2392 and 5961/km 2 /year).…”

“…Although a shortage of funds for biodiversity conservation has been well‐established (Coad et al, 2019; McCarthy et al, 2012), very few studies provide comprehensive evidence on the allocation of available funding, particularly within countries and across all conservation actions. Studies that have done so have focused on Latin America (e.g., Mexico (Salcido et al, 2009) and Peru (Nakamura, 2017)) and cover a relatively limited period of time.…”

“…Country‐based analysis of conservation funding is important because international investments are frequently directed at the country level (Balmford et al, 2000), where decisions about conservation actions are made by national‐level institutions (Ferrier, 2002). Thus, knowledge of funding allocation within countries is essential to analyze and guide conservation activities and spending (Salcido et al, 2009). Furthermore, it is necessary to identify conservation priorities, actions, and needs at finer scales as biodiversity and threats to biodiversity are not equally distributed across the landscape, even within a region or a country (Brooks et al, 2006).…”

Network analysis challenges the functional importance of charismatic and commercial species in the Gulf of California food web

“…This holistic study presents results that may guide the optimal investment of limited economic resources in conservation programs (Salcido et al 2009). The food web shows resilience to extinction scenarios, being mostly affected by changes in the dispersion velocity of indirect effects.…”

Carbon Sequestration of Caesalpinia platyloba S. Watt (Leguminosae) (Lott 1985) in the Tropical Deciduous Forest

“…Mexico is considered as a top mega-diverse country [ 1 , 2 ] due to the large latitudinal and longitudinal expansion of the Nearctic-Neotropical migratory system covering it [ 3 , 4 ]. Within this large area, ecosystems offer a number of “services” such as biological control of both pests and diseases, pollination of cultivated plants, prevention of soil erosion, hydrogeochemical cycle, and carbon uptake [ 5 – 7 ].…”