June 2012: The third issue of “The Road to Rio+20: For a Development-led Economy” published by the UN Conference on Trade and Environment (UNCTAD) contains two articles on experiences with innovative approaches to biodiversity conservation in Latin America: the Yasuni-ITT Initiative in Ecuador; and the Mesoamerican Corridor in Mexico.

The Yasuni-ITT initiative aims to simultaneously address climate change mitigation, biodiversity conservation and equitable sustainable development by avoiding exploitation of the Ishipingo-Tambococha-Tiputini (ITT) oilfield, covering biologically-sensitive areas. The Government of Ecuador committed to preserving the area in exchange for a financial contribution of 50% of the value of the reserves from the international community. Administered by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the funds are invested in renewable energy projects, such hydroelectric, geothermal, wind and solar power. The article notes that the initiative can serve as model for other developing countries with high biodiversity and significant fossil fuel reserves.

The Mesoamerican Biological Corridor (CBMM) was launched in 2001 by Mexico with a grant from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and financial contributions from other sponsors. The initiative established five biological corridors connecting 23 protected areas with a total of 6.8 million hectares of land and 448.798 hectares of shoreline. The CBMM strategy focuses on territorial planning and implementing sustainable development projects with the participation of indigenous and local communities (ILCs). Among the lessons learned, the article notes the importance of training local communities to enable them to act as stewards of their resources and biodiversity. Challenges include: supporting social networks; obtaining funding for research; creating adequate monitoring systems; and maintaining records of positive changes. [Publication: The Road to Rio+20: For a Development-led Green Economy, Issue 3]