Although the Mexican government created a protected natural areas system two decades ago, a pragmatic concern - considering both the human economic activities and the natural environment - has been the guiding conservation policy of the Mexican authorities.
In 2002, the governmental budget assigned to protecting natural areas totaled US$22 million. Since 1998, a total of US$16.48 million has been granted by the World Bank through the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and applied to the conservation of 10 natural protected areas under the SINAP I Project. Mexico now has 149 natural areas under protected status, covering more than 43.2 million acres - almost nine percent of the Mexican territory.
Mexico has a long history of requesting, and receiving, international funds to protect its natural areas. The $16.48 million from the GEF is a portion of a US$25 million endowment fund from the GEF Initiative granted to Mexico in 1992.
A report from the World Bank states that "the project's global objective is to promote the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in Mexico through the consolidation of the National System of Protected Areas (SINAP)."
Susana Guzman
