Mexico - Once a green land

Mexico is a large country if you think about it. The total proportions of the country is 5,114,295 km2. With those dimensions and the fact that Mexico occupies the 5th place among the most megadiverse countries, it’s not hard to imagine biodiversity is rich.

Mexico is a large country if you think about it. The total proportions of the country is 5,114,295 km2. With those dimensions and the fact that Mexico occupies the 5th place among the most megadiverse countries, it’s not hard to imagine biodiversity is rich.  Yet, that’s changing for the worse.  We Mexicans have lost about 50% of our natural ecosystems to contamination, overexploitation, climate change and, principally, human interference. The land that is seen as useful gets transformed into agricultural fields or farms or even urban areas, with the first one being the most popular option, 70% of land has been lost due to agricultural activity. The zones we have left? As long as they remain inaccessible or unproductive, they will stay that way, protected by their uselessness for humanity.  Habitat loss is no joke. It carries more consequences that we’d like to experience. Just in Mexico, per UNAM, 573 thousand species are considered endangered: 194 amphibians, 392 birds, 49 invertebrates, 291 mammals, 204 fishes and 443 reptiles. The complete list of endangered species can be seen in the document NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010 by the Mexican government.  And not only animals and plants suffer from this, but also people. Most people in conditions of poverty rely directly from natural resources these habitats provide for their survival. Biodiversity offers several resources that can be used for livelihood and commerce. After these examples, we can say that habitat loss is not a problem for the future. We are now being affected by the consequences of the damage to biodiversity and, if we continue this way, it’ll only get worse.  But, what has Mexico done about it? This year, the environmental sector has a budget of around 1986 dollars, more than what was assigned in 2021.  Currently new protected natural areas are being designated, for example Lake Texcoco, about 14 thousand acres will be under the charge of CONANP (National Commision of Protected Natural Areas).  In October last year, Semarnat (Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources) announced new strategies to prevent deforestation and illegal logging by closely inspecting and verifying sawmills and enforcing criminal prosecution against those responsible.  Also, Semarnat is looking to guarantee the legality of wood commerce and find alternative ways for its use that are both productive and sustainable, since this will give more importance to the communities living in the forestry sector. From the 66 million acres of jungles and forests Mexico has, 60% are property of communities that manage themselves however they can.  It’s also not so difficult for us to help this cause, here are some measures we as individuals can do (or don’t) to preserve our diversity:  Avoid burning thrash, leaves and other objects in forests or open areas.  Reduce the amount of waste by purchasing reusable containers. Recycle your articles as much as you can.  Use organic waste to create compost for plants. Take care of water. Don’t waste it when cleaning with a hose when you can use a bucket. Turn off electronics you aren’t using to save energy.  Preferably look for digital alternatives instead of paper ones. Reduce the use of your car as much as possible, walk or use public transportation.   References: Consulmex   Biodiversidad Mexicana, ¿Por qué se pierde la diversidad?  Aristegui Noticias, Entre 15 mil y 60 mil especies animales desaparecen al año por destrucción de hábitats: académico UNAM.  Cepal, Daño y pérdida de biodiversidad.  CBD, La diversidad biológica y la pobreza.  Mongabay, Los desafíos ambientales de México en 2022: detener deforestación, proteger áreas naturales y valorar a comunidades forestales Semanart, Acciones para cuidar el medio ambiente.