National Parks
Mexico has more than 66 protected areas (nature reserves, national parks), which aim to reconcile environmental preservation and tourism. However, the illegal trade in animals continues in a country that lacks the means to protect its biodiversity. The country has also reintroduced two herds of American bison, in 2014 and 2020 (Coahuila and Chihuahua), in order to reconstitute the ecosystem that existed a century ago.
The most emblematic national parks include:
Basaseachi Waterfall National Park: located in Chihuahua, it preserves the eponymous waterfall, nearly 250 meters high, its deep canyon and its rich biodiversity.
Cumbres de Monterrey National Park: located in Nuevo León, it protects the ecosystems of the Sierra Madre Oriental, a long mountain range, and its sumptuous landscapes, which will delight hikers.
Sierra de Órganos National Park: located in Zacatecas, this park is renowned not only for its geology, but also for the variety of its ecosystems and landscapes.
Parc national de la Lagunes de Chacahua : located in Oaxaca, and classified as a RAMSAR site (remarkable wetland), it preserves fragile ecosystems such as mangroves, and provides a habitat for numerous bird species. Accessible by boat.
Sumidero Canyon National Park : located in Chiapas, it has also been designated a RAMSAR site. It offers breathtaking scenery and remarkable biodiversity.
Arrecife Alacránes National Park: located in the Yucatán region, this Unesco World Heritage site protects the largest coral reef in the Gulf of Mexico. One of the park's islands is accessible by boat, where you can go snorkeling.
Towards the agro-ecological transition
The world's leading producer of avocados, "green gold" is exploited at a high environmental price, that of massive and often clandestine deforestation, contributing to the erosion of biodiversity, over-consumption of water and pesticide spraying. Monocultures - aided by climate change - have contributed to the spread of pathogens, such as the fungus responsible for coffee rust (which led to the destruction of around 70% of the country's crops in 2014), and to the drying up of Lake Chapala, exposed to agricultural abstraction and pollution. However, the country has decided to change direction. Agro-ecological practices are developing and organic production is growing rapidly. After embarking on a program to reduce pesticide use, a presidential decree issued in 2020 bans the use of glyphosate and GMO corn by 2024 at the latest. However, if this decree is to have any lasting effect, it will have to be accompanied by the resources and measures needed to make the transition on schedule.
Deforestation
Deforestation, which began with shipbuilding in the 18th century and the creation of the railroads in the following century, is now mainly linked to agriculture, livestock farming and urban development, but also to illegal logging. In response to this situation, a number of initiatives have been launched. For example, the NGO Nukuch Kaax is developing agroforestry projects in Yucatán. Community forest management in Ixtlán de Juárez (Oaxaca), spearheaded by the Zapotec Indians, is a convincing example of a sustainable practice.
The crucial issue of water
Water management, in the hands of companies, contributes to the over-consumption of this resource in a country already suffering from water stress. Major consumers include Coca-Cola, which has acquired the right to exploit 50 aquifers, as well as the mining, gas and oil industries, even though 9 million inhabitants have no access to drinking water. In Mexico City, water shortages are recurrent, and in some neighborhoods residents have to be supplied by truck. Another notable impact of the drought is the destabilization of the city's very foundations. Added to this is the problem of agricultural, industrial and domestic water pollution, due to the absence of wastewater treatment systems. In 2022, around 58% of the population had a daily water supply. However, around 6 million people had no access to drinking water, and 11 million had no sanitation services. Only 14% of the population had a 24-hour water supply. The issue of water treatment is inextricably linked to that of waste, in a country that is one of the world's leading consumers of bottled water and plastic Coca-Cola, and where waste treatment is still inadequate. As for industries (oil, mining), they are not exempt from polluting aqueous environments, as in the case of the accidental spill of 40,000m3 of sulfuric acid into the Sonora River in 2014, resulting from mining activity.
Facing climate change
The effects of climate change are already palpable and multi-faceted in the country. It is reflected both in the greater frequency and intensity of extreme events (floods, hurricanes, droughts) and in rising sea levels, which could submerge coastlines and lead to the migration of species. Faced with climate change, Mexico enacted a climate law in 2012, which, while setting targets for reducing its greenhouse gases, will not achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 in order to keep global warming below +2°C.
Travelling differently
Mass tourism has an environmental impact. It generates soil artificialisation and fragmentation of natural environments through the almost continuous urbanization of the coastline, particularly between Cancún and Tulum. It is estimated that hotel complexes are responsible for almost 95% of wastewater in Cancún, where facilities are insufficient to treat effluent quantitatively and qualitatively before discharge into the natural environment, in this case the ocean. Tourism also leads to the overexploitation of resources, particularly fish stocks. Other forms of tourism - and of living in the world - exist, more sober and more authentic. To find out more: www.tourisme-durable.org/bonnes-pratiques.
