In Mexico, Protected Natural Areas (ANP) protect biodiversity and are currently also becoming laboratories for dealing with climate change. Under this idea, the Workshop for the Exchange of Experiences and Learning between ANP Advisory Councils was held, where it was discussed how to strengthen governance, the resilience of ecosystems and the participation of the communities that inhabit these territories.
In this space, advisors, authorities and specialists agreed that ANPs are key to adaptation to Climate Change, provided that community participation, governance and access to climate finance are strengthened.
This exchange allowed the directors of Advisory Councils to share their experiences and learning, based on recent diagnoses published by Causa Natura Center.
Those who make up Advisory Councils shared experiences. Source: Zayra López.
Several councils have implemented the Methodological Guide methodology for the Evaluation of Advisory Councils with an Open Government, Gender Equity and Escazú Agreement (GAGE) approach and have worked on the basis of their evaluations to improve their internal practices, open processes and strengthen community participation.
The methodology has made it possible to identify barriers to participation, environmental risks, areas of opportunity, as well as to strengthen transparency and continuous improvement processes within councils.
Balandra is a pioneering case
One of the examples highlighted during the workshop was the Advisory Council of the Whale Flora and Fauna Protection Area, which has positioned itself as a pioneer in the implementation of a sustainable financial model and in the creation of a public website to promote transparency, accountability and access to knowledge about the management of the ANP.
The Balandra case was presented as a national reference for how the articulation between community, academia, authorities and civil society can be translated into better conservation practices.
Erica Domínguez Cervantes, director of Advisory Councils and Community Participation of the Coordinating Unit for Protected Natural Areas in Conanp, recalled that a large part of the land surface within the ANP is social property, which makes community involvement in decisions indispensable.
“Almost 60 to 90 percent of the land surface of protected natural areas is social property; that's why community participation in councils is central,” he explained.
Domínguez pointed out that one of the most recurring problems in diagnoses is the lack of water, but he also emphasized that communities carry out actions to monitor, monitor and strengthen ecosystem resilience. To this end, he suggested building maps of actors and actively inviting them to systematize their local knowledge.
During the meeting, the attendees launched proposals to face the challenges of Climate Change. Source: Zayra López.
He also warned that in some regions of the country, insecurity hinders the creation or visibility of Advisory Councils, so in these cases participation is channeled through other figures, such as indigenous regional councils.
During the working groups, multiple participants highlighted the importance of inclusion, the monitoring of good practices with a gender focus and the urgent need to increase women's participation in Advisory Councils, especially in decision-making roles.
Climate Change: Beyond the Environmental Sector
During the workshop, Saúl Pereyra, climate action manager at the World Resources Institute (WRI) Mexico, emphasized that Climate Change is not an exclusive environmental issue but must be transversalized in sectors such as agriculture, tourism, energy, social development and health.
The specialist highlighted the close relationship between climate and ecosystems, and how this interaction is experienced daily in the ANP and in the communities that inhabit them. He recalled that ANPs provide essential ecosystem services such as water, food, climate regulation, recreation, education and cultural roots, but they are also exposed to differentiated impacts such as floods, prolonged droughts, fires and pests.
The meeting addressed different problems faced by the ANPs. Source: Zayra López.
Pereyra explained that ANPs can function as centers for designing and testing adaptation measures, based on their management programs, ecological systems and specific adaptation plans. As a practical tool, he shared a guide prepared by WRI Mexico and partners for communities and local actors to formulate solid climate projects that allow them to access climate finance.
The specialist highlighted that the recent update of the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) 3.0 explicitly mentions Protected Natural Areas:
“NDC 3.0 proposes to strengthen the management and funding of ANPs to conserve biodiversity, promote productive activities and improve the living conditions of communities.”
*This article was written by Itzel Chan, who covers coastal communities thanks to the support of the Report for the World program.
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