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Based upon the growing preference for nature-based recreational
and tourist activities, along with the knowledge that these natural resources
could be jeopardized without proper protection and management, the United
Nations and other intergovernmental agencies and NGOs have stepped forward
to support the development of sustainable programs and practices. Just
a few examples are listed here:
• The European Union’s (EU) Regional Indicative Fund has channeled
more than $13 million Euros to the Caribbean for sustainable tourism and
trade projects. In the nation of Dominica, for example, these funds have
been used for eco-oriented projects, such as the Rainforest Arial Tram
and access to a parrot habitat.
• The Multi-Lateral Investment Fund of the Inter-American Development
Bank (IADB) has disbursed or allocated in excess of $44 million USD for
dozens of initiatives, including a sustainable development and eco-tourism
program in Bolivia, management training for the tourism sector in Costa
Rica and an ecotourism training project in Belize.
• The US Agency for International Development
(USAID) awarded $750,000 to the CEN program for the promotion and protection
of wildlife and nature in the Greater Caribbean area.
• The United Nations Foundation and
USAID gave a grant of $3 million to the Coral Reef Action Network for
programs to protect and prevent further erosion of coral reefs in Caribbean
waters.
• The Caribbean Environmental Program
received $1.5 million in funds for its CEPNET-IDB project, which seeks
to establish a Wider Caribbean environmental information network, based
primarily on the Internet.
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