In 2024, the Biodiversity Conservation in the Sierra Madre Oriental and the Gulf of Mexico (Sierra y Mar) project continued to fund priority conservation activities in 14 Protected Areas (PAs) under the leadership of the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP, acronym in Spanish) and with support from German cooperation through KfW Development Bank. The project supported strategic planning for the 14 PAs, alignment with federal subsidies, the strengthening of advisory councils, and capacity building for CONANP staff. It also enhanced PA operations through the installation of radio communication equipment and acquisition of technology, which enabled rangers to improve biological monitoring and engagement with local communities. In addition, the project supported the implementation of Integrated Watershed Management Action Plans (PAMICs, acronym in Spanish) aimed at conserving biodiversity, mitigating climate change, promoting sustainable use of natural resources, and restoring ecosystem functionality and services in four watersheds. The implementation of the PAMICs illustrates Sierra y Mar’s complementarity with various Mexican Fund for the Conservation of Nature (FMCN, acronym in Spanish) projects supported by other donors, such as the Global Environment Facility (GEF). Moreover, Sierra y Mar conducted a satellite imagery analysis (2015–2020) of 175 terrestrial PAs across Mexico, which showed that vegetation cover in the 14 PAs supported by the project has been maintained. At the end of 2024, the KfW launched the project’s final evaluation, which will allow its supervision to transition to the Technical Committee of the Natural Protected Areas Fund (CTFANP, acronym in Spanish).
Conservation and Sustainable Use of Mountains and Mountain Ranges (CoSMoS)
The Conservation and Sustainable Use of Mountains and Mountain Ranges (CoSMoS) project began activities in 19 Protected Areas (PAs), focusing on wildfire brigades, biodiversity monitoring, and the implementation of plans for tourism management, fire control, invasive...