Mesoamerican biological corridor

Abstract

When the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor (MBC) was established in 1997, many heralded it as the world's largest and most ambitious transboundary conservation and development project. Within three years, over US$280 million in donor financing was directed to MBC projects, which heavily emphasized regional cooperation and integration. Just over a decade later, and with more than US$500 million invested, many have judged the MBC a failure. And yet the Central American Commission for Environment and Development has retained MBC as a component in its most recent regional environmental strategy, and portions of the original MBC persist. After tracing the rise and perceived fall of the MBC, this chapter focuses on the impacts of climate change in Central America and Mexico, and then explores how the experience of the MBC can guide regional climate change mitigation and adaptation projects so as to optimize benefits for biodiversity and ecosystem health.