The Mesoamerican Biological Corridor in Panama and Costa Rica

Abstract

The Mesoamerican Biological Corridor (MBC) is one of the largest bioregional conservation programs in the world. The core idea behind this program is the creation of a series of protected wildlife corridors stretching from southern Mexico to eastern Panama to protect over 769,000 km2 of land. The MBC funds and oversees local projects in the corridor region that preserve biodiversity and encourage economic development. While the program should be lauded for uniting environmental decision-makers from eight countries, the implementation of the program at the local level has not been effective. One of the greatest shortcomings of the program is the lack of communication between locally-based projects and regional planning departments. Through analysis of the decision process that MBC regional managers undertake, I suggest ways in which managers could become more “problem-oriented.” Effective and clearer communication of high-level goals, renewed emphasis on biodiversity preservation, creation of reliable baseline ecological data, promotion of longer tenure for resource managers, local involvement with higher level planning, and defined land use prescriptions are steps necessary for the MBC achieve its goals across Central America.