Millionaire Jeff Bezos will finance the protection and restoration of mangroves in Yucatan

Mérida, Yucatán, (July 29, 2021) .- The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Bezos Earth Fund, property of the founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, announced on Monday, July 26th a project to restore Mexican mangroves.

Without specifying the amount, WWF Mexico reported a donation from the Bezos Earth Fund that will “finance the protection and restoration” of mangroves in Nayarit, Yucatán, and Quintana Roo.

“WWF is deeply grateful for this transformative investment and for the impact this commitment will have on millions of people around the world,” said Jorge Rickards, CEO of WWF Mexico, in a statement.

Mangroves cover more than 905 thousand hectares of coastline in Mexico, according to data from the National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (Conabio). Mexico concentrates six percent of the world’s total mangroves, making it the fourth country with the largest presence of this ecosystem, just below Indonesia, Australia, and Brazil, according to the Mangrove Monitoring System of Mexico ( SMMM) of the Conabio.

However, civil associations have denounced “ecocides” in recent years for the construction of tourist complexes and real estate in areas that should be protected.

With the Bezos Earth Fund donation, WWF promises to work with local communities within the next five years to “reduce vulnerabilities and damage generated by climate change” and directly benefit thousands of people.

The areas of action will be the region of Marismas Nacionales, in Nayarit; the Río Lagartos Biosphere Reserve and the Dzilam State Reserve, in Yucatán; and the Yum Balam Flora and Fauna Protection Area, in Quintana Roo.

The organization recalled that these ecosystems are natural flood control systems and hurricane barriers, thus protecting coastal communities. He also pointed out that they are feeding, shelter, and growth areas for many species of fish and crustaceans.

On Tuesday, Bezos said upon returning from his space trip that the strongest part of it was recognizing how fragile Earth’s atmosphere is.

The Yucatan Times Newsroom