The Mesoamerican Reef System (SAM, by its Spanish acronym) is the largest transboundary reef system in the Western Hemisphere, stretching more than 1,000 km along the coasts of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. One of the region’s most important marine ecosystems, its coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrasses support exceptional biodiversity and sustain the livelihoods of more than two million people through fisheries, tourism, and coastal protection. However, the reef system faces increasing pressure from land-based pollution, overfishing, unregulated tourism, urban expansion, and the impacts of climate change.
Despite its ecological and economic importance, the conservation of the SAM faces a significant financial gap that limits its effective and long-term management. Existing financing mechanisms face constraints in scale, geographic coverage, and access for local stakeholders. In response to this challenge, Conservation Strategy Fund (CSF) will design an innovative, transparent, and sustainable financial mechanism to help mobilize resources for the conservation, restoration, and sustainable management of the reef system.
As part of this effort, CSF will focus on the design of innovative financial mechanisms to mobilize and channel resources for the conservation, restoration, and sustainable management of the SAM. The project will examine existing financing instruments and regional initiatives, while identifying opportunities to structure new mechanisms capable of attracting capital. Building on this analysis, CSF will propose a financial architecture for the reef system, outlining potential instruments, funding sources, governance arrangements, and an implementation roadmap. The process will also include consultations and validation workshops with key stakeholders across the region.
The project is expected to help mobilize new investments for the protection of the reef system, strengthening ecosystem resilience while supporting the economic sustainability of coastal communities that depend on tourism and fisheries.
This work is made possible thanks to the support of the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI).