Campeche is facing a severe environmental crisis due to the accelerated loss of jungles and forests, warned Luis Antonio Martínez Yáñez, director of Sustainable Forest Development at the Ministry of Environment, Biodiversity, Climate Change, and Energy (Semabicce). According to the most recent data, the annual deforestation rate already exceeds 26,000 hectares, an alarming figure compared to the 22,000 recorded just two years ago.
The most affected municipalities are Candelaria, Escárcega, Champotón, and Hopelchén, where several communities, such as Iturbide, have lost all forest cover. The expansion of extensive agriculture and livestock farming are the main causes of land use change, a practice that, if continued, could worsen the environmental crisis in the region.
Martínez Yáñez noted that, despite institutional efforts, environmental crimes remain unpunished due to legal loopholes and the fact that their prosecution falls under the federal jurisdiction. “We have submitted files to Profepa, and these, in turn, to the Attorney General’s Office (FGR), but the proceedings have stalled,” he lamented. Given this situation, he proposed the creation of a specialized environmental prosecutor’s office to allow for more decisive action.
Given this lack of response, the director proposed the creation of a specialized environmental prosecutor’s office to allow for more efficient action against crimes against natural resources. This body, he indicated, should focus on the protection of forests and jungles, without relying on traditional processes that are stalled at the federal level.
The official also stressed the urgency of changing communities’ perceptions of natural resources. While sustainable forest management schemes have been successfully implemented in states like Quintana Roo, discouragement prevails in Campeche due to the lack of legal profitability, which is driving many people towards the black market for timber.
He also warned that the drought in the waterholes—natural sources of water vital to wildlife—could be critical during the months of April and May. Although areas like the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve retain greater humidity and vegetation, other areas already face worrying water shortages.
Martínez concluded that, as long as there are no viable economic alternatives and stricter legislation, deforestation will continue. “A healthy forest is less vulnerable to fires. But as long as the forest doesn’t generate income, people will continue to cut down trees,” he said.
Source: tribunacampeche
