It is real important for us people to realize the great importance of natural rainforests to us. From the air we breathe, the home that shelters us, up to the foods that sustain us, a big portion of our lives is dependent on the existence and sustainability of this natural resource. This time is never the moment for closing our ears from hearing and our eyes from seeing, this is the time for unique awareness and most importantly, action.
Mexico’s Response to the Worldwide Call
The issue of gradual deforestation is not just a problem of a few countries in the world, but rather a global concern. In Mexico, Forestry Communities are on the frontlines when it comes to rainforest conservation. These organizations help the communities in managing their rainforests well for protecting not just the environment as well as the livelihood of the people.
This action is a significant response from Mexico especially that their country is a home to unique species of plants and animals that cannot be found on no other place in the Earth. In fact, Mexico is among the 12 most ‘mega diverse ’nations in the world and is known for its extreme richness of flora and fauna. A wide variety of tree species is found in Mexico’s rainforests reaching the number of 1,000 native species knowing that almost thirty percent of their total land area is covered by rainforests.
However, no matter how we get amazed of Mexico’s natural richness, the nation is on for a serious threat. Despite it being one of the richest and most diverse, Mexico also has one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world. They are losing 330,000 hectares of their forests every year.
The last twenty-five years is a breakthrough for Mexico. Coming from the fact that 80% of their rainforests are under the jurisdiction of communities, the Forestry Communities saw it as a possible asset for recovering and preserving the remaining rainforests. Community Forest Enterprises (CFEs) have been established to practice sustainable forest practices in every community.
However, many of Mexico’s communities are not in the move to practicing sustainable management for increasing the potential of rainforests not just for preservation but also for livelihood purposes. Only a minimal portion of communities involved can be said to have reached a significant level of business development. On a brighter note, there are other forest conservation programs that assist CFEs in becoming more competitive in local and even in international markets.
Image credit: http://www.arborday.org/
0 comments:
Post a Comment