Importance of Natural Protected Areas, Environmental Services and Clean Technologies

 

Natural Protected Areas in the World and Mexico

 

Natural protected areas are zones where original environment has not been greatly affected by human activity or require to be restored or protected. Their objective is  to host a diversity of species of plants and animals, many of them in danger of extinction.

 

Worldwide, the number of Natural Protected Areas has considerably increased in the last decades, and now represent 12% of Earth. Nevertheless lost of biodiversity continues because environmental protection has to face poachers, illegal logging, and illegal commerce of species in danger of extinction.

 

Humanity has set aside forests and other ecosystems for conservation for at least 2,500 years, with the first modern national park established at Yellowstone in 1872. Protected areas have since grown to cover much of the globe: the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre now lists more than 102,000 terrestrial and marine sites covering nearly 19 million square kilometres – almost 4 per cent of the Earth. The vast majority are terrestrial, and their establishment is believed to be the biggest deliberate change of land use in history.

Meanwhile 149 sites of ‘great natural value’ are given special legal protection under the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, ratified by 176 states. They and other protected areas serve many purposes, including safeguarding biodiversity and wild resources, providing clean air and water, combating climate change and attracting tourists. A rapidly growing number has been established across national boundaries, acting as catalysts for peace.

Protected areas are unevenly spread: one fifth of all the world’s countries have designated less than 1 per cent of their land. There are major gaps; less than a tenth of a per cent of the original forest in the Southern Pacific islands is protected for example, along with less than 1 per cent of the forests of Central Africa’s Cameroon Highlands and of the mangroves of the Gulf of Guinea. More striking still, less than 1 percent of the seas and oceans that cover 70 percent of the globe is covered by protected areas.

Many parks exist only on paper, lacking management and legal title. Many that are properly enforced are too small to function effectively. Many more are damaged by threats ranging from poaching to air pollution, from illegal mining and logging to uncontrolled fires – often because they have been set up without the participation of local people, who believe they do not benefit from them. And global warming threatens to erode and destroy their value, as species are unable to cope with the changing climate.

These dangers happen because of factors  as poverty, overconsumption and overexploitation. The protected areas of the earth will only continue to do their invaluable work if these problems are controlled – and if the local people have reason to value them and participate in their conservation.

Our country (Mexico) has a System of Natural Protected Areas is divided in different categories:

* Biosphere Reserves

* National Parks

* Natural Monuments

* Plants and Animal Protected Zones, etc.

With these actions mega diversity is protected and species in danger of extinction are preserved. Natural Protected Areas cover 9.5% of Mexico´s surface.

 

 

Importance of Natural Protected Areas, Environmental Services and Clean Technologies

 

Protected areas are economic engines. They provide for life’s jobs and livelihoods as a traditional destination

for the global tourism industry. Outdoor equipment industries have sprung up and are critical to regional

economies. Significant employment is dependent on parks and protected areas. At the same time these areas

protect resources of immense economic value such as water and fisheries. The pharmaceutical industry has

benefited greatly from the genetic diversity of species and safeguarding species in protected areas will ensure

the possibility of discovery of future medicines. As well the economic spin- offs from literature, film and

television adds to the positive side of the ledger of the values of protected areas.

 

Globally - protected areas serve as indicators of achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. At the

local level, protected areas contain landscapes with a sense of place and meaning to nations and its people.

They offer opportunity for involvement with restoration and other conservation activities. Such activities enhance social outcomes, sometimes dramatically, when delinquent youth are transformed into engaged

community members.

 

Protected areas provide the settings for healthy outdoor living and recreation. Exploring a protected area

offers not only the opportunity to understand nature but also for exercise and education. They provide a

sense of adventure and challenge, including self-discovery. Achieving personal development goals increases

the mental well-being of humans. Much evidence has been accumulated on the recuperative force of nature

on recovering patients.

 

Most importantly, protected areas are the setting for providing some of life’s most joyous moments. It is

within these areas that our spirits can soar and our soul can be replenished. We can feel joy in the beauty

of the place, from the feeling of solitude, or from having an interaction with wildlife. Protected areas are

places where one has time to relax and unwind and to share a special moment or adventure with family and

friends. These joyous experiences become embedded as a memorable moment and for many, they can be a

life-transforming event.

 

Protected areas provide income through jobs and in some cases they also provide direct income to communities

through park fees. Table 2 below highlights some examples of the economic values derived from

protected areas.

Protected areas in Mexico include 174 from which 41 are biosphere resevrves, 67 national parks, 5 natural monuments, 8 natural resources protected areas, 35 animals and plants protected areas and 18 natural sanctuaries.

 

Carbon Capture

México Carbon storage and tourism benefits from protected areas

 

México’s efforts to conserve biodiversity encompass an overwhelming necessity to provide goods and services to its growing population. Protected areas13 constitute an important part of the Mexican strategy to protect its unique biodiversity. Currently, a greater portion of Mexican federal protected areas surface is conceptualized as multiple use zones (83%, IUCN Category VI), where activities are limited by the thresholds imposed by sustainable use of natural resources. Protected areas are therefore not isolated from the national economy.

Rather, they play an important role in enhancing and consolidating the well-being of México’s rural population, while remaining within the limits necessary to conserve their “natural” condition. A crucial characteristic of Mexican protected areas which demonstrates their role in society is that land tenure within their boundaries is not altered by their establishment. Instead, land use is restricted through presidential decrees, in order to safeguard environmental conditions toward a greater public good.

Mexicans are increasingly recognizing the strategic importance of protected areas, together with the need to develop social programs within them to achieve sustainable development. Thus, the budget assigned to federal protected areas by the government has increased significantly over the last 15 years.

Documenting the value of goods and services that protected areas provide to society is a first step towards creating the social and political will needed to develop a strong state policy stance towards their long term consolidation as key pieces of a nation’s sustainability. Recently, The Nature Conservancy initiated a  process for documenting goods and services provided by Mexico’s protected areas that include mainly: carbon sequestration, water provision services, watershed protection, disaster mitigation, tourism, and fisheries.

Mexico is the eighth most important tourist destination in the world, with around 21.4 million tourists

arriving in 2006 to experience its beaches, culture, history and natural surroundings. Income derived from international travelers’ expenditures in 2006 total USD 12.2 billion. National and international tourism activities currently represent around 8% of Mexico’s gross national product.

 

The CONANP16 estimates that approximately 5.5 million tourists visited federally protected areas, with direct sales close to USD 285.7 million, derived exclusively from direct payment of services related to their visit. This figure represents 2.3% of all international traveler expenditures.

Activity #3

Investigate a Protected area anywhere inthe world. Elaborate a map locating where that area is and illustrate the species or plants or animals protected with drawings or cutouts.

In your notebook write:
1.- Which is the name of the area in which continent and country it is located and which species of plants and animals are protected,

Answer:
2. Why is it important to have natural protected areas?

Participation of Mexico and Other Countries in Caring for the Environment and Sustainable Development

What is sustainability?

There is no universally agreed definition on what sustainability means. There are many different views on what it is and how it can be achieved. The idea of sustainability comes from the concept of sustainable development which became common language at the World's first Earth Summit in Rio in 1992.

The original definition of sustainable development is usually considered to be:

"Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Bruntland Report for the World Commission on Environment and Development (1992)

 

Sustainable development must be able to reach the following goals:

 

1.- That human activities do not destroy the environment.

2.- Improve the quality of life of all the world population.

3.- Use natural resources efficiently.

4.- Promote recycling of materials.

 

Environmental protection is a practice of protecting the natural environment on individual, organizational or governmental levels, for the benefit of the natural environment and humans. Due to the pressures of population and technology, the biophysical environment is being degraded, sometimes permanently. This has been recognized, and governments have begun placing restraints on activities that cause environmental degradation. Since the 1960's, activity of environmental movements has created awareness of the various environmental issues. There is no agreement on the extent of the environmental impact of human activity, and protection measures are occasionally criticized.

Academic institutions now offer courses, such as environmental studies, environmental management and environmental engineering, that teach the history and methods of environment protection. Protection of the environment is needed due to various human activities. Waste production, air pollution, and loss of biodiversity (resulting from the introduction of invasive species and species extinction) are some of the issues related to environmental protection.

Environmental protection is influenced by three interwoven factors: environmental legislation, ethics and education. Each of these factors plays its part in influencing national-level environmental decisions and personal-level environmental values and behaviors. For environmental protection to become a reality, it is important for societies to develop each of these areas that, together, will inform and drive environmental decisions.

 

What International Agreements Exist to Protect the Environment?

Different nations have come together on their own accord to create international agreements about how to maintain, protect, and care for the earth’s natural resources. These international agreements and treaties are often drafted during large meetings, or conventions, that representatives from various interested nations attend.

Main International Agreements for Sustainable Development.

The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

The goal of the Ramsar Convention is to protect and conserve wetland resources. In 1971, representatives from multiple nations met in the Iranian city of Ramsar and signed a treaty that recognized “wetlands of international importance.” In this case, the term wetland includes all water habitats and biomes except the oceans.

Using an ecosystem-centered approach and implementing sustainable use practices, the Ramsar Convention describes how each nation and the international community together can protect wetland habitat all over the world by following these recommendations:

·         Create national wetland policies within each nation.

·         Consider the traditional and cultural value of wetlands.

·         Encourage sustainable use practices to support water quality, fisheries, wildlife
         habitat, agriculture, and recreation.

·         Strengthen community involvement in wetland conservation.

·         Increase education and knowledge of wetland resources.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, or CITES, is one of the largest international agreements concerning the environment. Since its creation in the 1960s, CITES has succeeded in preserving endangered or threatened species all over the world.

Members of this agreement work together to govern the trade in endangered species and to make sure that endangered animals and plants aren’t harmed by international trade that further diminishes their populations. One of their most difficult, ongoing struggles is keeping poachers from illegally harvesting animal products, such as elephant ivory and rhinoceros horns. Check out the site www.cities.org  website for details on their work concerning endangered species around the world.

The Convention on Biological Diversity

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is an international convention whose focus is on preserving global biodiversity in the age of genetically modified organisms. The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety is an agreement created by members of the CBD to safely control the transportation of genetically modified organisms.

The protocol describes guidelines for transporting living things that have been genetically modified or are otherwise the results of biotechnology to avoid potential ecosystem disruption or endangering human health.

The Cartagena Protocol has achieved mixed results. While it has been successful at creating a forum for international discussion of biosafety issues, members are still developing ways to implement and enforce its guidelines. Go to the Convention on Biological Diversity website for information on the convention and news articles related to issues of biosafety.

United Nations agreements

The United Nations (UN) is an international organization with members from nearly every nation in the world. Formed after World War II with the goal of providing a place for discussion and resolution of conflict without war, the UN has also played a large role in other international agreements. In fact, some of the most important international agreements concerning the environment are the result of UN conventions.

Stockholm Declaration

Created as a result of the UN Conference on the Human Environment in 1972.. Some of the principles that the Stockholm Declaration outlines include

·         That humans have a fundamental right to freedom, equality, and healthy living conditions

·         That natural resources must be protected to benefit humans now and in the future

·         That humans have a shared responsibility to maintain and manage the earth’s resources, wildlife, and habitat

Although the Stockholm Declaration doesn’t bind any nation to specific action, it does outline that nations will work together in international cooperation to maintain a healthy, pollution-free global environment for the good of all humankind. As a result of this declaration, the UN created the UN Environment Program (UNEP) to help nations develop and implement more sustainable practices.

Montreal Protocol

The Montreal Protocol is an agreement signed by all UN members concerning the role humans play in the destruction of the stratospheric ozone layer. Prior to current debates about climate change and global warming, every nation in the UN agreed that humans needed to halt ozone damage by air pollutants. After being signed in 1987 and put into action in 1989, the Montreal Protocol has been successful in phasing out the use of dangerous CFC aerosol chemicals and preventing further damage to the ozone layer.

UN Framework Convention on Climate Change

The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is an agreement that came out of a large meeting in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 called the Earth Summit. Nations that were interested in understanding global climate change and reducing the impact of human activities on the world global climate system signed this agreement, which laid the groundwork for later agreements like the Kyoto Protocol.

Kyoto Protocol

The Kyoto Protocol of 1997 is probably the most well-known of the UN updates concerning climate change. At a meeting in Kyoto, Japan, many nations agreed to set limits on carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions. The nations that signed the Kyoto Protocol agreed to a binding contract to limit their greenhouse gas emissions

Nations still in the process of industrial development, such as China and India, weren’t required to sign the treaty, while other nations, such as the U.S., chose not to sign it. A few nations have succeeded in reducing their greenhouse gas emissions in line with Kyoto guidelines, but worldwide, greenhouse gas emissions haven’t decreased significantly.

 

Laws and Actions for Keeping the Environment and maintaining sustainable Development in Mexico.

Article 4 of our Mexican Constitution establishes that “ Each person has the right to an adequate environment for his/her development and wellbeing”.

Mexico has several instruments of environmental politics to avoid environment degradation, some of them are:

* Environmental Planning

* Ecological Territory Ordering

* Human settlement environmental regulation

* Establishment and Managing of Natural Protected Areas

* Measures taken for sustainable use of soil and water

* Control and prevention of air, water and soil pollution

* Control of Dangerous Materials and Waste

The organization in charge of the protection and preservation of ecosystems id the Environment and Natural Resources Secretariat.

The General Law of Eological Balance and Environment Protection establishes the control of the garbage in which we should separate organic and inorganic waste, classify the inorganic in metal, paper, plastic cardboard and glass, and process the materials in the appropriate place for its correct use.

Article 27 of our Constitution establishes the right of our nation to  regulate the use of natural resources and the protection, conservation and restoration of ecological balance. Article 25 is related to  sustainable use  of natural resources.

The General Ecological Balance and Environment Protection Law  came out in 1988 and in 200o the Environment and Natural Resources Secretariat was created (Semarnat).

There is also a law for the Prevention and Control of Pollution created by Motorized Vehicles in order to reduce the amount of vehicles that  are used eery day in order to reduce the high levels of carbon monoxide and other gases.

 

Activity 2 (Homework)

Investigate and answer the questions:

1. How does the agreement contributes in the care of the environment and sustainable development?

2.-Which are the main objectives of that agreement?

3.- Which goals has it reached?

4.- How have countries included in the agreement participated in it?

 

Quality of Life

The term quality of life (QOL) references the general well-being of individuals and societies. The term is used in a wide range of contexts, including the fields of international development, healthcare, and politics. Quality of life should not be confused with the concept of standard of living, which is based primarily on income. Instead, standard indicators of the quality of life include not only wealth and employment, but also the built environment, physical and mental health, education, recreation and leisure time, and social belonging.

Also frequently related are concepts such as freedom, human rights, and happiness. However, since happiness is subjective and hard to measure, other measures are generally given priority. It has also been shown that happiness, as much as it can be measured, does not necessarily increase correspondingly with the comfort that results from increasing income. As a result, standard of living should not be taken to be a measure of happiness. Also sometimes considered related is the concept of human security, though the latter may be considered at a more basic level, and for all people.

 

 


 

Relation Between Societies with Different Quality of Life.


 

The different levels of quality of life and environment between developed countries and developing ones has increased in the last years.

Sustainable human development needs to allow a substantial improvement in the quality of life of a community in which poverty needs to disappear. Developing countries have been forced to destroy nature to survive to ´provide goods to developed ones.

 

Access to education, culture and a better surrounding with less violence where all can enjoy non polluted water and air, with enough food to grant healthy and nice environment for the world population must be reached so that everybody can  enjoy a good quality of life.

The ten countries with best quality of life are:

(Data from year 2010)

 

 

 

 

The five countries in Latin America with highest quality of life are:

 

 

 

Another example showing more or different characteristics than quality of life and updated to 2013:

 

 

 

 

 

** Mexico appears in position 36 on the list that you can read at the following link:

Check for all countries chart at : http://www.numbeo.com/quality-of-life/rankings_by_country.jsp

Relationship between Quality of Life and Environmental Sustainability

Sustainable Development is a process of change in which the quality of life of a human being by the means of economical growth, social equality, and transformation of production  and consuming methods, leading to environment sustainability because natural resources aren´t unlimited.

The wrong use of natural resources produces damaged natural areas that affect quality of life. For example, the extraction of non-renewable resources ( minerals, petroleum, etc.) create problems related to the reduction of them in our planet and pollution caused by their transportation and industrialization.

 

Answer the following questions in your notebooks: (Class?)

1.-   Which would be two factors that determine the quality of life in your country?

2.- Why is environment sustainability important to maintain an adequate quality of life?

3.- Which environmental factors influence the quality of life of people?

According to the map of countries by Quality of Life:

4.- Mention two countries  from Africa and two from Asia that have a higher quality of life, and explain which could be the factors for which in those continents there are more countries with the lowest quality of life.

5.- Why do you think Mexico City has lower QoF than other cities in the country?

Activity 1 (Homework)

Investigate about places in which excessive or inappropriate use of resources is happening in the world and which countries are using more sustainable use of materials. Take notes and bring them in a piece of paper.