Development & Aid, Environment, Tierramerica

Meso-America

Jun 23 2002 (IPS) - The Meso-American Biological Corridor that extends across the countries of Central America and southern Mexico is an important project for the future of the planet. It seeks to halt the environmental degradation of a region that is home to eight percent of all known species.

Several international organizations are working with the governments of the zone in the Meso-American Biological Corridor crusade encompassing the countries under the slogan “naturally united” in the search for ways to protect biodiversity and foment sustainable development.

The Meso-American region , approximately 800,000 square km, covers the seven Central American nations (Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama) and the five states of southeast Mexico (Campeche, Chiapas, Quintana Roo, Tabasco y Yucatan).

A glance at the information about the project available on the Internet reveals the interest of international bodies like the World Bank , the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the US aerospace agency NASA.

The strategy behind the creation of the Corridor across the various countries arose from evidence of ecological destruction of habitat due to the use of areas for human activities, like farming, raising livestock and tourism, over-exploitation of resources and the fragmentation of natural areas.

According to some estimates published on the websites related to the project, the rate of deforestation is so high that if immediate action is not taken to halt the destruction, the forests and jungles could disappear by the year 2015.

The specific goals of the project are varied. In seeking better conservation methods, efforts are under way to raise the population's awareness about the problem, and to collect geographical information, monitor changes, standardize government policies and promote sustainable development, among many other endeavors.