Caribbean islands biodiversity hotspot : ecosystem profile summary

Abstract

The Caribbean islands biodiversity hotspot is one of the world’s greatest centers of biodiversity and endemism, yet its biodiversity and the natural services it provides are highly threatened. Its ecosystems are essential for the maintenance of human well-being, as its inhabitants rely on the wealth of these fragile areas for a multitude of benefits including disaster risk prevention, availability of fresh water and revenue from tourism. CEPF’s strategy aims to support civil society to generate significant conservation results that will not only complement the actions of other stakeholders in the Caribbean, but also enable a significant expansion of strategic conservation effort for the benefit of people and nature.