Receiving the MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity is a great honour, and I am proud to see our efforts to conserve and restore the islands of Mexico acknowledged in this way. I am deeply grateful to the AEON Environmental Foundation and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity for having selected me for this award.
The prize reinforces our enthusiasm and commitment to restore the natural environment—an activity that is so much needed, everywhere and at all scales. It also highlights the success of our interdisciplinary and comprehensive approach to conservation: we aim to integrate the natural and social sciences with environmental culture and art, local communities, private sector involvement, and the development of public policies. Our emphasis has been on tangible results, and the formation of a new generation of experienced leaders that can tackle the complex challenges facing our environment now and in the future.
The successful conservation and restoration of the Mexican islands is the result of two decades of a close and responsible collaboration between civil society and government agencies, including the Mexican Navy and the Secretariat of the Environment and Natural Resources. The achievements add significantly to our national contribution to the goals of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)—chiefly, the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. To me, our organization and our partners, the MIDORI Prize confirms that the obligation with hope, and persistence, even in challenging circumstances, leads to concrete actions and recovers the dialogue and harmonic relationship between humans and nature.