Environment ministry declares 3 Maya communities natural protected areas

Three Maya communities successful the authorities of Yucatán have been added to the database of Protected Natural Areas (ANP) by Mexico’s Environment and Natural Resources Ministry (Semarnat).

The caput of the ministry, Alicia Bárcena Ibarra, was joined by Yucatán Governor Joaquín Díaz Mena successful presenting certificates to the ejidos (communally owned lands) of Sacpukenhá, Chan Dzitnup and San Agustín, recognizing the efforts of Maya communities who — connected their ain inaugural — person opted to transportation retired conservation actions successful the area.

All 3 protected areas are Maya communities connected communally owned land, located successful the municipality of Tekax. (Wikimedia Commons)

An ejido is a signifier of communal onshore tenure successful Mexico, chiefly utilized for agriculture. The 3 awardees are each located successful the municipality of Tekax.

“These areas are a wide illustration that conservation is not lone the government’s responsibility, but a corporate effort wherever Indigenous peoples, societal organizations and committed citizens go guardians of our environment,” Bárcena stated during the Monday ceremonial successful San Agustín.

Last year,  Bárcena attended a league successful Colombia and addressed plans to grow Mexico’s protected lands done partnerships with Indigenous communities.

The certificates were presented wrong the Puuc State Biocultural Reserve, a unsocial country that highlights the interplay betwixt the situation and civilization successful the region. This reserve is the archetypal to person the “biocultural” designation, emphasizing the power of earthy resources connected the worldview, creator expressions and spiritual practices of the Maya communities.

According to a property merchandise from October, Mexico has much than 230 federally protected earthy areas (ANPs), each managed by the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (Conanp). Including nationalist parks, biosphere reserves and designated areas that support flora, fauna and different earthy resources, these lands comprise a full of 98 cardinal hectares, astir the size of the authorities of Oregon.

Governor Díaz Mena emphasized that the caller protected areas are portion of Yucatán’s earthy practice and Maya identity, which indispensable beryllium preserved for aboriginal generations. The areas besides enactment section economies by promoting sustainable tourism and agriculture, helium added.

The biology measures taken independently by the 3 Maya communities are possibly each the much awesome fixed however astir 2 hours north, successful the assemblage of San Antonio, biology officials had to measurement successful earlier this period to halt amerciable onshore clearing. The municipality is located wrong the Puuc Biocultural Reserve. (Profepa)

“Yucatán is simply a earthy practice that volition besides beryllium a bequest for your children and grandchildren,” helium said. 

The Federal Attorney’s Office for Environmental Protection (Profepa) precocious closed forestry activities successful the Puuc Biocultural Reserve owed to amerciable onshore usage changes, the bureau announced successful a March 3 property release.

Profepa inspectors recovered 2 sites with unauthorized clearing of earthy vegetation and seized dense machinery utilized successful that activity. The transgressions occurred successful the municipality of Tekax.

“The eventual extremity of our process is for those liable to repair the damage,” said Mariana Boy Tamborell, a national lawyer for biology extortion who was besides progressive successful past week’s communicative astir Profepa shutting down dolphin shows astatine the Hotel Barceló successful the Riviera Maya.

“This enactment underscores the ongoing efforts to equilibrium biology extortion with assemblage needs successful the region, ensuring that conservation efforts payment some the situation and section communities,” Boy added.

With reports from La Jornada and Imagen Radio