Accurate, thematically and geographically-segregated estimates of investments that would enable a determination of the total investments into the MBR do not exist, although an estimate is being developed with some limitations. Among others, these limitations are linked to the difficulty of assigning of  unambiguously assigning investments with a geographic focus either inside or outside the Maya Biosphere Reserve. For this reason, this description refers to values for the entire department of Petén, and not exclusive to the MBR. 

Development of state investment in environment-related institutions in Petén, 2007-2009

According to available data, the Guatemalan state has significantly increased its investments in institutions related to the environment in Petén.  There has been a 25% increase in investments between 2007 and 2009, from 42.4 million Guatemalan quetzales (about 5.5 million US dollars) to 53.2 million (6.9 million USD).  The largest increases were given to MARN-AMPI (the Authority for Sustainable Development and Management of the Lake Petén Itzá Watershed, part of the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources) and to CONAP – increases of 155% and 26% respectively – while other related institutions saw moderate increases or reductions in their budgets.

In terms of international funding destined for investment in the environment, conservation, management of natural resources, and conservation-linked development (tourism and archaeology), once again the scattered data have not been aggregated at the MBR level, although there are some general data for Petén.  Total estimates for resources invested in the past ten years and predicted to be invested over the next five years reach over 500 million Guatemalan quetzales (64.4 million USD).  Of this amount, an estimated 300 million quetzales (38.7 million USD) are yet to be implemented.  The bulk of this investment is in the form of loans from the  Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for two projects: the Project for Sustainable Development of Petén (PDS), and the Program for Development of Petén for the Conservation of the Maya Biosphere Reserve (PDP-RBM).  Between them, these two projects account for nearly 400 million quetzales (51.5 million USD). 

Additional funders include the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID), the Government of Germany, and the Netherlands Embassy, among others.