Mérida, Yucatán, (July 14, 2021).- “The Natural Protected Areas (ANP) in the state of Yucatan, remain mostly in good environmental conditions for the development of a great number of species of animals and plants”, said Alberto León Oropeza, assigned to the Technical Unit of the Regional Directorate of the Yucatan Peninsula and the Mexican Caribbean.
This Directorate manages the 25 protected natural areas that are located in the region of the Yucatan Peninsula and is part of the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (Conanp).
He specified that the ANP called Dzibilchaltún National Park a very disturbed environment due to its proximity to the urban area of Mérida, so its natural vegetation has been reduced significantly.
He indicated that in the case of the other two ANPs that are located in the state, the Río Lagartos Biosphere Reserve and Celestún, have well-preserved coastal environments that are also one of the few flamingo nesting areas that are found in the region.
In addition, these two areas also represent natural habitats for many marine and jungle species that, if they were not protected, would have already been disturbed and affected by the development of a project or urban development that affects their natural conditions.
Few protected natural areas
“If it is very important that although there are few protected natural areas that Yucatan has at the federal level, it is very important to conserve and protect them to maintain natural environments where both the native flora and fauna of the region can develop properly,” he explained.
Regarding the number of ANPs, Yucatán occupies the third place at the peninsular level below Quintana Roo, which concentrates most of the protected polygons, followed by Campeche, home of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, which is one of the largest, and Los Petenes, near the border with the State of Yucatan.
He stressed that Yucatán still has areas that can be established as ANP, especially those that are with less disturbance or human presence, the area of interest could be the south of the State, but that must be determined by studies that evaluate the surfaces that can preserve favorable natural conditions.
He stressed that the ANP systems are decreed by the three levels of government, however, there are protected areas that were decreed by the municipal or state order, although they are not as many as the federal ones, and there is a significant number of these in Yucatan.
“Each government has the power to designate a Natural Protected Area within their territory. Generally, the proposal comes from the State Government or the municipal government and is submitted to the federal administration so that there is a collaboration between the levels of government to reach an agreement and delimit the site that could be of interest as a protected natural area ”, Alberto León Oropeza concluded.
Source: Sipse
