Latin America is one of the most important regions of the world in terms of biodiversity and ecosystems. The region’s rich biodiversity provides invaluable benefits to human health, well-being and the broader economy. However, large-scale deforestation to clear land for agriculture, mining, energy and infrastructure projects, over-extraction of natural resources, invasive species and climate change are placing enormous pressure on the region’s natural wealth.

The OECD Environmental Performance Review Programme has been supporting member and partner countries in developing effective environmental policies for nearly 30 years. The principal aim of the programme is to:

Latin America is one of the most important regions of the world in terms of biodiversity and ecosystems. The region’s rich biodiversity provides invaluable benefits to human health, well-being and the broader economy. However, its wealth is under threat. As in other parts of the world, large-scale deforestation to clear land for agriculture, mining, energy and infrastructure projects are placing enormous pressure on the region’s ecosystems. Invasive alien species, overfishing and climate change are additional drivers of biodiversity loss.

This chapter summarises the report’s main findings and conclusions. It begins with an overview of the main status, trends and pressures on biodiversity and ecosystems in the reviewed Latin American countries, followed by a discussion on the institutional and policy frameworks, financing, and mechanisms to mainstream biodiversity into sectoral policies. For each section, the chapter highlights some good practices and innovative solutions implemented in the countries.

This chapter provides an overview of the status of Latin American biodiversity and ecosystems, drawing on indicators from national and international sources. It examines the main pressures on these ecosystems resulting from forestry and agriculture, mining, energy and infrastructure development, invasive species, desertification and climate change. The chapter includes an overview of the region’s main biodiversity hotspots.

This chapter examines progress in the governance of biodiversity in Latin America. It begins with an overview of the institutional settings in the reviewed countries, including mechanisms for stakeholder participation. The chapter then discusses the overarching biodiversity strategies, legislation, goals and targets. The role of regional and global biodiversity initiatives is also considered. The final section discusses the status of data and knowledge, including on the economic and social value of biodiversity.

This chapter provides an overview of the main policy instruments used for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use. It begins with protected areas – the most prominent instrument for biodiversity conservation in Latin America – followed by a discussion on other regulatory approaches such environmental impact assessments, strategic environmental assessments, land-use planning and zoning. The chapter then examines the use of economic instruments such as payments for ecosystem services, biodiversity offsets, tradable resource extraction quotas and fiscal incentives. The role of environmentally harmful subsidies is also reviewed. The final section discusses voluntary and information instruments, such as certification, eco‑labelling and voluntary agreements.

This chapter examines how the reviewed Latin American countries finance the implementation of their biodiversity conservation strategies and action plans. It provides an overview of public budget allocations, private sector contributions and the role of international development assistance. It presents examples of conservation trust funds, which are commonly used in the reviewed countries.

This chapter discusses the importance of aligning sectoral and other policies with biodiversity objectives. It focusses on the sectors that pose particular pressures on Latin American biodiversity, such as agriculture, fisheries, forestry, energy and infrastructure development, and tourism. The final section highlights synergies in policy approaches that benefit both biodiversity and climate change goals.