The Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad (CONABIO; en, National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity) is a permanent inter-ministerial commission of the Federal Mexican government, created in 1992. It has the primary purpose of coordinating, supporting and executing activities and projects designed to foment understanding of

biodiversity Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic (''genetic variability''), species (''species diversity''), and ecosystem (''ecosystem diversity'') l ...

within

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

and the surrounding region. As a governmental agency, CONABIO produces and collates biodiversity data and assessments across Mexico's varied

ecosystem An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the syste ...

s. It also either administers or guides a range of

biological conservation Conservation biology is the study of the conservation of nature and of Earth's biodiversity with the aim of protecting species, their habitats, and ecosystems from excessive rates of extinction and the erosion of biotic interactions. It is an int ...

and

sustainability Specific definitions of sustainability are difficult to agree on and have varied in the literature and over time. The concept of sustainability can be used to guide decisions at the global, national, and individual levels (e.g. sustainable livi ...

projects with the intention of securing benefits to Mexican society as a whole. The mission of CONABIO is to promote, coordinate, support and carry out activities aimed at increasing awareness of biodiversity and its conservation and sustainable use for the benefit of society. Conabio was conceived as an applied research organization, sponsoring basic research that generates and compiles information regarding biodiversity, developing capacity in the area of

biodiversity informatics Biodiversity informatics is the application of informatics techniques to biodiversity information, such as taxonomy, biogeography or ecology. Modern computer techniques can yield new ways to view and analyze existing information, as well as predict ...

, and to act as a publicly accessible source of information and knowledge. CONABIO is an institution that generates information on

natural capital Natural capital is the world's stock of natural resources, which includes geology, soils, air, water and all living organisms. Some natural capital assets provide people with free goods and services, often called ecosystem services. All of t ...

. Among the main functions of CONABIO are to implement and operate the National Information System on Biodiversity, as required by article 80, section V of the General Law of Ecological Equilibrium and Environmental Protection. CONABIO provides data, information and advice to various users and implements the national and global biodiversity information networks, complying with international commitments on biodiversity entered into by Mexico, and carries out actions directed towards conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in Mexico. The President of the commission is the head of the Federal Executive, C. Andrés Manuel López Obrador. The Technical Secretary is the head of the

Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources The Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (in Spanish: ''Secretaría del Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, SEMARNAT'') is Mexico's environment ministry. Its head, the Secretary of the Environment and Natural Resources, is a member ...

, C. Víctor Manuel Toledo and the heads of the following secretariats also participate: Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food; Social Development; Economy; Public Education; Energy; Finance and Public Credit; Foreign Affairs; Health; and Tourism. CONABIO performs its functions via an operative group that, since its inception, has been led by José Sarukhán Kermez as National Coordinator.

External links

CONABIO
official website
BIODIVERSIDAD MEXICANA
official website about biodiversity * José Sarukhán Kermez on Spanish language Wikipedia

CONABIO Dos décadas de historia. 1992–2012.

CONABIO. Intelligence for taking decisions about biodiversity Biodiversity Government of Mexico {{mexico-org-stub