Environmental advisory in Mexico, an urgent need
By: Erick Almanza
For decades, development planning in cities has lacked a vision which understands the urgency of going hand in hand with caring for the environment. The consequence of this has been the severe impact on our environment which has brought with it natural catastrophes, which, in turn, have led to serious social and economic problems. On many occasions, the damage done has not been intentional, but due to ignorance and, in light of this, environmental advice in Mexico, as in other countries, has already become an imperative need which cannot be postponed.
Whether in regulatory, environmental or social issues, the environmental asvisory in Mexico is a tool that allows working on sustainable projects with the vision of a better future, but also to have a better present, since a balanced coexistence between economic and demographic development and nature is essential.
Former director of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, José Sarukhán Kermez, together with biologist Julia Carabias Lillo, agreed in a forum that it is not possible to achieve healthy progress which includes well-being without natural capital; a culture which incorporates respect for the environment and the creation of a universal code of values in this regard is urgently required, they said.
In their opinion, if the meaning of the concept of sustainable development is understood, we will begin to have an understanding and a broader culture of what is required regarding issues that allow us to make progress and to achieve balance as well as interaction between the social, economic and environmental angles.
For this, it is necessary to have the guidance of experts in environmental consulting who allow companies to move ahead on a path of true prosperity which complies with the country’s current regulations, while a culture of respect for the environment takes root, eventually giving way to a stage where caring for the environment has become an intrinsic part of our life.
Nature does not allows any more harm, its deterioration has claimed thousands of lives and millions in economic loss. These are not just words, the tally of economic and social damage in the world caused by disturbance on the environment is alarming. The United Nations estimate that half of the human and economic damage caused by catastrophes in the last 50 years is related to water and climate.
The UN has concluded that only water-related disasters have caused about 1.3 million deaths and represent 50 percent of all catastrophes.
Likewise, an analysis by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reveals that, of the 10 main catastrophes recorded during half a century, those that have caused the greatest number of victims have been droughts with 650 thousand deaths; followed by storms, with 577 thousand 232; floods, with 58,700; and extreme temperatures, with 55 thousand 736.
Environmental advisory in Mexico, an essential tool
It is clear that we have to learn to manage and regulate our relationship with the natural environment and that for this it is ideal to have professional environmental advisory. In Mexico, B + F works continuously for you and the environment, providing support in different areas:
- Consulting on environmental regulatory issues.
- Counseling on environmental impact proceedings and public consultations.
- Class action litigation and by members of afflicted communities.
- Drafting of environmental impact and risk assessments.
- Preparation of supporting technical studies.
- Environmental audits and expert appraisals.
- Feasibility studies for legal, environmental and social projects.
- Drafting of social impact assessments (SIA).
- Development of social management plans and community outreach strategies.
Having a good environmental consultancy in Mexico means opening the door to having a truly sustainable company, regardless of its type and size, which not only avoids future legal problems in environmental matters, but also works to leave a quality of life legacy for all.
Sources: UNAM/UN Gazette