The Mesoamerican Biological Corridor
The path of the new millennium
Something unique is happening in Central America. In this narrow stretch of land once marked by civil wars, eight countries have joined forces to create a place where environmental conservation and human progress go hand in hand with economic viability as the basis for development. In this continuous strip connecting Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama lies an international land bridge known as the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor (MBC).

Begun as an effort to connect various national parks, this initiative has become a driving force behind the integration of development priorities and environmental agendas for the entire region. Comprising almost 30 percent of Central America's territory and linking together parks, peoples, and policies, the Corridor is the first successful biological preservation project to stretch across several national land borders. As one of the world's most biologically diverse areas and the source of water and hydroelectric power for half the region's population, the Corridor is overwhelmingly important to the welfare of millions of people of multiple nationalities and ethnic origins.

The Corridor was endorsed by all seven Central American heads of state at a 1997 Summit. Today, independent projects are underway in each country, and each government maintains its own environmental action plan. The focus now is on linking these country-level efforts together. To this end, the Central American Commission for Environment and Development (CCAD) - the environmental arm of the Central American Integration System (SICA) - coordinates regional initiatives focusing on issues such as climate change, common watershed management, and conservation of protected areas like the Mesoamerican Reef System. CCAD also works to promote Corridor goals among diverse stakeholders, including governments, regional officials, civil society, indigenous communities, and international partners. (For more information on CCAD, visit http://ccad.sgsica.org.)

The Corridor is proof that economic and social goals, such as fighting poverty while also protecting the environment, can be accomplished through international cooperation. The project is unique not only for its focus on preserving natural resources, but also for its view of nature as an important tool for combating poverty and reducing vulnerability to natural disasters. It offers investment opportunities ranging from ecotourism to pharmaceutical prospecting, and corridor initiatives are proving significant in terms of improving land productivity, opening new markets, and preserving critical natural resources.

The MBC Mission

• Improve quality of life, converting the Corridor into a catalyst for sustainable development and a tool for reducing the region's vulnerability to natural disasters.
• Foster regional cooperation in order to achieve environmental sustainability.
• Protect one of the richest areas of biological diversity in the world.
• Contribute to the global environmental discourse with a new, integrated model aimed at addressing issues such as deforestation, watershed protection, and climate change.
• Establish a new understanding of environmental protection that integrates conservation with enhanced economic competitiveness.