National Environmental Fund - Case Study Mexico

The idea for the FMCN had its origin at the June 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro. During this summit, Kathryn S. Fuller, President of World Wildlife Fund-U.S. (WWF) met with Carlos Salinas de Gortari, then the President of Mexico. They agreed on the principle that biodiversity conservation in Mexico was a responsibility to be shared by both the U.S. and Mexico and that a permanent, autonomous organization was needed in Mexico to guarantee stable financing for conservation projects. By several measures, Mexico is one of the most biologically rich nations in the world. Mexico ranks first in reptilian diversity and second in mammalian diversity, worldwide. Close to 50% of Mexico's plants are endemic and it has 30% more bird species than the U.S. and Canada together (GEF, 1994). At the time,
although Mexico had enacted legislation to expand its protected areas network and strengthen
environmental management, a chronic shortage of funds severely hindered the implementation of these new conservation policies (USAID/GEF, 1995). In addition, the increasing number of environment and development groups that sprouted in the late 1980's/early 1990's, were finding it more and more difficult to gain access to conservation funding and maintain their activities (USAID/GEF, 1995). The FMCN is the private institution founded in response to these needs.