E. Information dissemination
CONABIO fulfils many other functions, like the support to many conservation non-governmental organizations such as the Mexican Conservation Trust Fund, the most important private organization in the country. It also provides information to teachers and, through its periodical bulletin, it conveys accessible information about biodiversity, its importance to Mexican society and its uses. It supports projects carried out by indigenous groups in their forest communities on the development of new products, which provide them with income and help to preserve their natural resources. Finally, through its Web page, it gives access to everybody interested in general or specific aspects of Mexican biodiversity. The information is being accumulated permanently as it becomes ready to be provided to the public. The web page of CONABIO is presently receiving over 2,000 hits a day. The page can be consulted at: http://www.conabio.gob.mx
III. The dilemma we face
So, that is the talk. I think that we have to balance this fact of preserving as much biodiversity as we can. But also, we have to take care of the people who live there. I think this is possible. Some people will opt, if they were placed with the options, to cut the forests. If people will not starve and they will not be under-nourished and their children will not be handicapped because they didn't have enough protein then it doesn't matter, let's cut the forests. I don't think it is that kind of black and white option. I think both things can be combined. It requires more effort, yes. It requires more work, yes. However, I think it's the kind of investment that we, and many other people, have to do for the future. There is no way of doing it in an easy way. You have to do a lot of work to convince people to commit them to this thing, to really make a great effort to make them understand it. We can meet the needs of the people in a country like Mexico. It has a rich biological diversity. Thank you.
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Narrative Index
BioForum Index
