By: Carlos Manuel Rodríguez
CEO and Chairperson at Global Environment Facility (GEF)
This article was originally published in Delfino.cr, in collaboration with Faico.
To understand the scope of the political decisions that I want to address today, it is helpful to have a clear reference point: the land area of Costa Rica covers approximately 5.1 million hectares. In contrast, the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor (CMAR), a regional initiative comprised by Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, and Ecuador, covers approximately 64.36 million hectares.
CMAR, considered one of the most important ocean ecosystems on the planet, is one of the largest Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the world. It was created to promote the conservation of biodiversity and the sustainable use of resources in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean (ETP).
The ETP is composed of the waters of Ecuador, Costa Rica, Colombia, and Panama, and it is recognized as a marine biodiversity hotspot of global importance. Located in the convergence zone of warm and cold ocean currents, this region is home to a wide variety of tropical, subtropical, and temperate ecosystems. Its dynamic waters have a high degree of ecological interconnectivity, supporting unique species and ecosystems found nowhere else on the planet.
The ecological value of this region is recognized worldwide. The ETP contains four sites designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Cocos Island in Costa Rica; Galapagos in Ecuador, these two designated as Wetlands of International Importance by the RAMSAR Convention; Coiba in Panama; and Malpelo in Colombia. These four, along with Gorgona in Colombia, have been accredited as Blue Parks, that is, five of the best-protected places in oceans of the world.
However, the region is increasingly threatened. Rising ocean temperatures, acidification, overfishing, and plastic pollution are degrading marine habitats and threatening the survival of key species such as sharks, whales, sea turtles, and coral reef systems. The integrity of migratory routes, vital for connecting Marine Protected Areas and used by endangered species such as leatherback turtles, whale sharks, and hammerhead sharks, is particularly at risk.
In 2022, during the Glasgow Climate Summit, the presidents of Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, and Ecuador made a commitment to the world by declaring that together they would protect 30% of their oceans under some management category, promoting similar measures in the rest of their Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) and their sustainable productive activities, particularly fishing, and a strong focus on illegal activities in the territorial sea. But why 30%? This is the minimum percentage that the scientific community has recommended protecting to conserve the planet’s important biodiversity, but also as a cost-effective action to combat climate change.
By 2024, the four countries managed to make this commitment a reality, despite strong opposition from some economic sectors dedicated to extraction, which considered that protecting that 30% threatened their activities. On the contrary, scientists have stated that protecting these marine ecosystems will guarantee a sustainable fishing resource over time.
This effort represents a model of cross-border cooperation because of the joint commitment of the four countries, with the support of civil society, international cooperation agencies, and non-governmental organizations.
The decision to protect 30% of the territorial sea has generated the world’s largest complex of marine areas, covering more than 60 million hectares.
This visionary political decision has strongly attracted international cooperation, which supports the efforts of national governments in the management and conservation of this marine corridor.
A concrete example is the support of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), which I have the honour of chairing. In 2025, GEF announced the approval of $15.6 million to promote the long-term resilience and conservation of CMAR, strengthening governance and institutional coordination among countries, improving connectivity and effectiveness of Marine Protected Areas, promoting sustainable blue economy models, and implementing climate adaptation and community conservation strategies.
The political decisions of these countries have also prompted a major response from international organizations through a broad coalition of philanthropic, governmental, and non-governmental organizations, which have pledged to provide technical and financial assistance totalling more than $50 million in private and public funds to support this important marine corridor.
The growing need to conserve oceanic and coastal resources in the region is urgent, as it faces rapid development that degrades and destroys invaluable ecosystems, as well as fostering illegal and unsustainable fishing practices.
Funding for international cooperation will support the important work of national governments, which, through public funds and other contributions, provide most of the required financial and human resources.
Today, Cocos Island National Park, part of the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor, is larger than the land territory of Costa Rica! Let us celebrate this great achievement that guarantees a better future for our children and grandchildren. Let us celebrate our contribution to the transboundary conservation efforts that today protect 64.36 million hectares. Let us celebrate the political leadership that faithfully embraced the recommendations of scientists, for the good of the planet and humanity.
