Global Environment Outlook - Policy options for Latin America and the Caribbean: Protected Areas & Biodiversity

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Issue date: June 2012

While playing a vital role in maintaining essential ecosystem services, biodiversity is threatened by a number of interlinked factors. Those include habitat loss through conversion, alteration and contamination of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems from intensive economic activities. Because maintaining biodiversity has economic, social and environmental positive impacts on local and global population, addressing the drivers of its deterioration, along with ensuring its sustainability, requires equitable, evidence-based, participatory, cross-sectoral policies and action.