June 28th: World Tree Day
By: Lucero Tzab Ah Can Burgos
Mexico has an extension of 137.8 million hectares (ha) that are covered by some type of forest vegetation. (INEGI, 2021.). Our country is home to around 26,000 different floristic species, of which 2,500 are protected. Mexico is the largest center of world diversity of the Pinu genus with more than 70 species of pines, and number one in the Quercuso oak genus with approximately 161 species, of which 109 are endemic to our country.
There are so many environmental, economic, and social benefits from forests that it would take us several pages to list them. It is, however, worth noting some of them, such as maintaining the supply and sources of water both in quality and quantity, as well as generating oxygen, controlling erosion, and also the generation, conservation, and recovery of soil, capturing carbon and assimilating various pollutants; they moreover, protect biodiversity, ecosystems, and life forms, favoring plant pollination and biological pest control, and are a genetic reservoir of life and provide information. purpose of substances of great utility to humanity in the fight against diseases.
Let’s keep in mind that according to the National Forestry Commission (CONAFOR), deforestation is the permanent loss of forest vegetation due to induced (anthropogenic) or natural causes. It happens when the use of forest land changes to any other land use, such as agricultural use, grasslands, human settlements, wetlands or other lands.
In Mexico, from 2001 until 2021, an average of 208,850 ha/year have been lost and the main causes are the increase in the agricultural and livestock frontier, illegal logging, forest fires, expansion of urban and industrial areas, and tree pests and diseases.
The states in which there are critical areas due to deforestation are: Campeche, Yucatán, Quintana Roo, Chiapas, Michoacán and Jalisco, followed by Oaxaca, Veracruz, Guerrero and San Luis Potosí. This loss of forest land leads to a drastic decrease in the watter supply at a local and national scale and disrupts the climate balance at a regional and even planetary level, which increases the threat posed by global climate change.
The loss of forests generates significant Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, rwhich epresent almost 17% of the global total.
They mean so much for the environmental and social life of the communities, that we should take care of them effectively, have clearer schemes of what to preserve, what to exploit, when to do it and when to modify land use. We need to protect and preserve them. In Mexico, there is current legislation and regulations which protect forest vegetation, as well as land regulation instruments that induce sustainable land use.
At B + F we know the importance of our country’s forests and the care of our natural resources and the environment, which is why we accompany and help our clients and allies to achieve their objectives through solid sustainable practices.
Our services are designed in a customized way to accompany the project from start to finish, both in the legal and technical parts, so we reduce any risks that may exist, we support compliance with the provisions of the environmental, energy, administrative legal framework, among others, as well as the preparation of the necessary studies for the project.
Some of our services in this area are:
- Environmental Impact Statements (EIAs)
- Supporting technical studies (ETJ)
- Environmental Risk Studies (ERA)
- Environmental Feasibility Studies (EVA)
- Preparation of environmental and social management plans (ESMP)
- Environmental supervision and monitoring