Mexico : capacities for conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity

This is the purpose of this collaborative work between the UNDP and Conabio which tells how, in a relatively short time and with varying scopes, the management of our natural capital was structured. It details the consolidation of a solid body of scientists which, though still small in number in the face of the magnitude of the challenges facing our country, are dedicated to the environmental problem. This work describes how strategies were implemented to provide the soundly based arguments which demonstrated the false dichotomy between economic growth and the sustainable management of natural capital, and also underlines the persistence of the development model followed in our country to date. This project is an assessment of the national capacities for knowledge generation and in situ conservation, an evaluation of the instruments required for this goal and of the generation and implementation of public policies. It also includes an assessment of the facts and figures, and the voices of those from different sectors who participated in workshops and shared their valuable insights, and of others that were expressed through interviews or written texts.