Biologically diverse ecosystems incountries served by the World Bank provide an array ofvaluable economic services. While the benefits of conservingecosystems frequently outweigh the costs, conversion ofthese ecosystems to other uses occurs anyway, because manyecosystem benefits are of a public good nature, withoutmarkets that would reflect their real value. The objectiveof this paper was defined at a Concept review meeting heldon December 2009 and is to increase the understanding on howbiodiversity is incorporated in a development agency such asthe World Bank Group (WBG) and how the WBG can enhance itsrole in biodiversity and ecosystems protection andmanagement as a key ingredient to reach developmentsustainability. In order to define a reasonable strategy toprepare this paper, two approaches were used: the first wasto carry out background and analytical studies, and thesecond was to consult with a wide range of stakeholdersincluding Bank staff, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs),and indigenous groups. Biodiversity provides manyinstrumental benefits, from food and fuel to recreation. Buteven where biodiversity is not immediately instrumental, itrepresents global public goods that must be protected, ifonly for their potential value in the future. The GlobalEnvironment Facility (GEF) has been the mainstay of grantsimplemented by the Bank ($1.4 billion) for biodiversityconservation and management, but the Bank has itselfcommitted $2 billion in loans and has leveraged $2.9 billionin co-financing.
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