Fifteen years of change in biodiversity conservation across Latin America and the Caribbean

Latin America and the Caribbean (LACA) is one of the most biodiverse regions globally, yet it continues to experience accelerated biodiversity loss driven by persistent and emerging anthropogenic pressures. In 2009, the Society for Conservation Biology conducted a regional assessment of conservation challenges; however, the evolution of these dynamics over the following 15 years had not been systematically reassessed. We conducted an updated regional synthesis of biodiversity conservation priorities, perceived threats, and implementation barriers across 25 countries, based on a 2024 survey of conservation professionals ( n = 244). Respondents were predominantly experienced practitioners affiliated with academic institutions, nongovernmental organizations, and government agencies. Our findings were consistent with the patterns reported in 2009, with deforestation, habitat fragmentation, industrial agriculture, climate change, and pollution persisting as the most severe threats. However, these traditional drivers are now compounded by the intensification of landscape‐scale pressures and a marked shift toward the security–conservation nexus. Respondents explicitly identified organized crime and drug trafficking as primary constraints that compromise both ecosystem integrity and the safety of practitioners. Although conservation tools, such as protected areas and environmental policies, have diversified and improved in many ways, their effectiveness remains limited by a diversification without consolidation trend, characterized by chronic underfunding, corruption, and weak intersectoral coordination. Furthermore, engagement with local communities and citizen science remains predominantly low to moderate, highlighting an enduring gap between policy design and on‐the‐ground implementation. This study underscores that addressing biodiversity loss in LACA has moved beyond the need for technical solutions; it now requires a fundamental transformation in governance quality, institutional integrity, and state capacity to protect the region's natural heritage and the communities that depend on it.