Maria Fernanda Cuartas

María Fernanda Cuartas Ríos is an international sustainability consultant with over 20 years of experience managing environmental and marine projects across the Americas and the Caribbean. As the Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) at the Global Ocean Accounts Partnership (GOAP), she seeks to advance ocean accounting to reflect the ocean’s true value for the future of our nations.

Leveraging her extensive history collaborating with governments, NGOs, and the private sector, María Fernanda aims to address the regional imbalance where 93% of accounts focus exclusively on terrestrial environments. She is dedicated to demonstrating that ocean accounts serve as the essential database and information system upon which governments can effectively structure their financial and macroeconomic policies. Through this ununified data framework, she strives to help nations generate the robust information required for informed decision-making and unlock financial mechanisms.

Her leadership focuses on shifting the historical paradigm of viewing conservation as a mere public expense, recognizing ecosystem services as vital capital visible in GDP. In doing so, she aspires to ensure that ocean conservation becomes prioritized, self-financing, and fully integrated into sustainable blue economies

Publications