Introduction
Mexico’s environmental policy has undergone a transformation, now characterized by an exercise in resigned public relations due to extreme budget constraints and the federal government’s apparent indifference. Those who once saw environmental credentials in the current administration are left to silently stew over their disappointment.
The Role of Semarnat and International Support
To justify its existence, the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) has turned to public relations. International foundations’ charity and media support aid in drafting and presenting various aspirational documents during press conferences. These documents, however, remain largely symbolic, illustrated with smiling indigenous people.
The budgetary and institutional shortcomings of Semarnat, along with the flawed contents of these documents, render them ineffective. This has led to the publication of a hollow Climate Change Strategy with negligible credibility, lacking serious policy or energy planning foundations and without formal support from Sener, Pemex, CFE, Agriculture, or Economy.
Additionally, the ambitious yet futile National Program for Environmental Restoration was unveiled, promising to solve almost all of Mexico’s environmental issues with a single stroke. Just the previous week, Semarnat presented a Roadmap to protect 30% of Mexico’s national territory, both marine and terrestrial, by 2030 (Meta 3 of the Global Biodiversity Framework).
The “Hoja de Ruta” and OMEC
The “Hoja de Ruta” meticulously outlines the protection of indigenous and afro-Mexican communities’ spiritual, cultural, and socioeconomic values. It emphasizes Areas of Natural Protected Area (ANP) and an elusive concept called “Other Effective Conservation Instruments” (OMEC), which can encompass any area with such values, disregarding mestizo, criollo, European, Chinese, Jewish, or Lebanese communities.
These OMEC are registered in a National Register (RENOM) and accumulate until reaching 15 million hectares. The plan does not allocate any investment or operational costs, aligning with the meager CONANP budget of 1,000 million pesos.
Criticisms and Concerns
The “Hoja de Ruta” avoids specifying new protected natural areas. Instead, it accumulates OMEC based on spiritual values and a simple keystroke, disregarding their relevance to biodiversity. With no funds or personnel, CONANP will oversee 609 Voluntarily Conserved Areas, 232 Protected Natural Areas, 12% of the national terrestrial territory, 24% of the Exclusive Economic Zone, and 15 million hectares of OMEC.
This plan overlooks the brutal deforestation caused by lawlessness, “Sembrando Vida,” militarized and unproductive projects like the ill-fated Mayan Train, and Mennonite destruction of Campeche’s forests. The “Hoja de Ruta” disregards Pago por Servicios Ambientales, carbon forest markets, or the proposed international financing mechanism for tropical forests by Brazilian President Lula.
In Mexico, conservation costs are not covered; indigenous and afro-Mexican communities bear this burden freely, thanks to their “cosmovision.” Enforcement and law adherence are deemed unnecessary, as seen in the impunity surrounding environmental crimes during the Mayan Train’s construction.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the current state of Mexico’s environmental policy? It has transformed into a resigned exercise in public relations due to budget constraints and the federal government’s indifference.
- What is the role of Semarnat in this scenario? Semarnat relies on public relations and international support to draft aspirational documents, which lack effectiveness due to budgetary and institutional shortcomings.
- What are the concerns regarding the “Hoja de Ruta” and OMEC? Critics argue that the plan disregards biodiversity relevance, lacks investment, and fails to address deforestation and environmental crimes.
