Arlington, Va. (Aug. 27, 2024) – The launch of a new, USD $18.5 Million investment from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the MEx30x30: Conserving Mexican Biodiversity Through Communities and Their Protected Areas project, will advance biodiversity conservation across Mexico. MEx30x30 aims to strengthen established protected areas and other conservation lands that are home to Indigenous peoples and local communities to conserve, restore, and sustainably manage territories. Funded by the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund, the project is led by the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP, in Spanish), in partnership with Conservation International and the Mexican Fund for the Conservation of Nature (FMCN, in Spanish). 

MEx30x30, the largest grant endorsed by the GEF’s Global Biodiversity Framework Fund in the fund’s first tranche, supports the global 30x30 goal—an agreement reached at last year's Global Biodiversity Conference in Montreal to protect and conserve 30% of the world’s land and water by 2030.

MEx30x30 will strengthen the ability of Mexico’s CONANP to secure diverse funding and reduce the financial gap facing Mexico’s protected areas system. The initiative is one of the first projects funded by the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund, a fund that in less than a year has been able to allocate millions for biodiversity conservation.

The project will entail close coordination between CONANP, FMCN and Indigenous peoples and local communities to ensure that project activities and results are properly monitored and evaluated, and that knowledge management facilitates the efficient sharing of information at every level of the project. The specific conservation areas were selected by CONANP for their biological importance, presence of Indigenous peoples and local communities, degraded areas that are eligible for restoration, regional and ecosystem diversity, and a mix of new and existing protected areas. 

Indigenous peoples and local communities govern, under a legal ownership system, 51% of Mexico's land and steward 83% of the nation's biodiversity, which means supporting these communities’ stewardship is essential to achieving the 30x30 conservation target.

“The MEx30x30 project is a monumental step forward in our commitment to conserving Mexico’s biodiversity while also addressing the global challenge of climate change,” says Daniela Carrión, Senior Director of Project Design and Oversight at Conservation International. “By improving management effectiveness across millions of hectares of protected areas and mitigating 9.43 million metric tons of CO2 emissions, we are protecting vital ecosystems and also ensuring that conservation efforts generate inclusive, gender-equitable benefits for communities.”

Humberto Adán Peña Fuentes, Head of CONANP noted that "in the last two years, Mexico has decreed 44 new federal ANPs for a total of 226, which reach 95 million hectares. In addition, CONANP expects to complete in 2024 with the protection of 14% for the land zone and 25% for the marine zone of the Country. CONANP places the well-being of people and communities at the center, along with the care of ecosystems as an essential element for the protection of all life, including humans, animals, and plants."

"MEx30x30 builds on 27 years of experience of a public-private collaboration. With the support of 25 donors, CONANP and FMCN have worked together to allocate financial resources for the effective management of Mexico’s protected areas. Working hand in hand with local communities ensures nature is protected for future generations. The project will scale up this experience in a country that houses 10% of world’s biodiversity," says Renée González, FMCN's General Director.

This project is a leap forward in protecting Mexico’s biodiversity. By tackling the financial challenges of protected areas and supporting local communities, Conservation International, the GEF, CONANP, and FMCN are setting the stage for a future where both people and nature can thrive in Mexico.

“The GEF celebrates the launch of MEx30x30 in a record time of only six months from concept to implementation. It shows the efficiency of the GBFF process and is a fast response to the urgent needs of biodiversity finance,” says Claude Gascon, director of Strategy and Operations, at the Global Environment Facility. “The project will support a long-term sustainable revenue stream for protected areas across Mexico with over 70% of the GEF funds supporting Indigenous Peoples and local communities’ actions.”

Originally published in Conservation International, available at this link.