Above: Dr Luis Anibal Solorzano Cardenas

By the Caribbean Journal staff

There’s a new conservationist in the Caribbean.

The Nature Conservancy has announced the appointment of Dr Luis Anibal Solorzano Cardenas as its new executive director.

Solorzano comes to the Nature Conservancy from the CGIAR Consortium, a France-based global network of institutions “focused on increasing food security, improving health and human nutrition, and ensuring more sustainable management of natural resources,” according to a statement.

“The biggest opportunities for the Caribbean rest at the interface of conservation and development,” Solorzano said. “Preserving nature while adapting to climate change in an increasingly globalized economy poses tremendous challenges to a region where natural resources are comparatively limited.”

Solorzano’s previous work includes a post as an advisor to Colombia President Juan Manuel Santos and as an advisor to the Natural Capital Project, among other stops.

“Some of the biggest conservation opportunities will be framed by the diverse development needs and aspirations of Caribbean nations,” Solorzano said. “We know that protecting and restoring the Caribbean Sea through marine managed areas, sustainable fisheries, and coral restoration will be fundamental to regional economies and individual livelihoods.”