Tag: Adaptur

The Tourism sector, which contributes 8.7% of the national GDP, is reiterating its commitment to sustainable development by incorporating –for the first time– a climate change and biodiversity approach in the most important political instrument for the sector in the country.

Thanks to the collaboration of tourism specialists and citizen consultation, on July 3 of this year, the Federal Government published the Tourism Sector Program (PROSECTUR) for the period 2020-2024, which establishes actions that guarantee the balanced development of tourist destinations while prioritizing social justice, respect for human rights, cultural diversity, and the value of ecosystems.

In the words of Lic. Miguel Torruco Marqués, Tourism Secretary, it was emphasized that:

‘The new tourism development model formulates a comprehensive, inclusive vision of shared responsibilities with key actors, promoting concrete actions to face the various conditions presented to us by the tourism sector’

Among the actions concerning climate change and biodiversity, it is worth pointing out those included in Strategy 4, which promotes sustainable tourism. For example:

4.1.5 Promotion of the conservation and restoration of ecosystems and the strengthening of the capacity to adapt to climate change in tourist destinations.

4.1.6 Promotion of compensation mechanisms in the tourism sector for the development of Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) measures.

4.2.5 Boosting risk analysis, vulnerability studies, and climate scenarios in the preparation of investment projects and new tourism developments.

4.3.2 Promotion of the incorporation of biodiversity and climate change criteria into institutional, regulatory, and public policy frameworks to promote sustainable tourism development.

While the Ministry of Tourism (SECTUR) has been an active participant in the Intersecretarial Commission on Climate Change (CICC) for several years and has, in turn, promoted concrete actions to address the challenges of climate change and the integration of biodiversity, this guiding document establishes priority and enforcement issues for the entire Mexican territory.

The GIZ in Mexico, through the project “Adaptation to Climate Change Based on Ecosystems in the Tourism Sector (ADAPTUR)” has collaborated with the SECTUR by providing technical advice for the incorporation of both approaches in the proposed actions, thereby contributing to compliance with the national goals.

The ADAPTUR project is part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI) and is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH at the request of BMU, alongside the SECTUR, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), with the technical support of National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP) and the National Institute of Ecology and Climate Change (INECC).

To consult PROSECTUR and other tourism-related topics, please consult the following links:

Sectorial Program derived from the National Development Plan 2019-2024

Adaptur Website

By 2030, there will be an increase in both the population and tourists in San Miguel de Allende (Guanajuato), which is why it is estimated that the costs of water provision will increase by at least 25% compared to today.

However, the question is, will there be enough drinking water to meet basic needs? According to Conagua studies, the aquifers that provide water to this world heritage city are already overexploited. Shortly, climate change scenarios estimate a decrease in rainfall throughout most of the year, which could affect the replenishment of the aquifer by up to 14%.

This indicates that, in a trend scenario, a Zero Day will arrive, as was the case in Cape Town (South Africa). At that point, the replenishment of the aquifer will be less than what is being extracted, and there will not be enough water for the population, meaning extreme actions would have to be taken.

 

 

To avoid this, the municipal government of San Miguel de Allende launched the Climate Change Assistance Program last month, starting in the communal lands of Doña Juana and San Agustín González. They have been the first to initiate the restoration of forests and soils in 83 semi-desert hectares, through the reforestation of 19,000 native plants and the construction of hand-made dams using stones and meshes.

Likewise, the rightsholders of the communal lands owners of El Salitre and Los Torres have begun preparations for the rehabilitation of soils on 550 hectares of land, as part of the Payment for Environmental Services agreement signed between the municipal government, the beneficiary communal lands, and the National Forestry Commission (Conafor).

These ecosystem-based adaptation measures aim to reduce the risk of water scarcity and soil erosion in the municipality and, in the short term, create temporary jobs for the people of San Miguel, in the face of the crisis caused by COVID-19.

The program is led by the municipal government of San Miguel de Allende with financing and cooperation from various actors, including a developer in the real estate-tourism sector, representatives of the communal lands of San Agustín González, Doña Juana, Los Torres, and El Salitre, Conafor, and technical advice from the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, as well as from civil society organizations Salvemos al río Laja, GAIA, Guanajuato Conservation Corps and Vía Orgánica.

Impacts on the operation, infrastructure and market, are some of the risks that climate change poses for the tourist destination of Riviera Nayarit-Puerto Vallarta. In the face of such a climate emergency, the Association of Entrepreneurs of Puerto Vallarta and Bahía de Banderas) (AEBBA) has taken the lead in promoting ecosystem-based adaptation solutions.

Entrepreneurs recognize that conservation of the bay, mountain forests and wetlands are a priority for socio-economic development, to ensure water in the future and protect against floods and storms.

 

Credits: © ADAPTUR / Mariana Rodriguez Aguilera. Mountain forests in Riviera Nayarit-Puerto Vallarta

 

The commitment was ratified on August 2nd through the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding, between AEBBA and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (German Cooperation for Sustainable Development), as well as the creation of a Green Agenda Committee, which will be led by entrepreneurs from the region. During the event, the president commented:

” Today we assume this challenge of starting the process of adaptation to climate change in our companies and partners, as something indispensable with a sense of urgency.”

The objective of this collaboration is to build joint solutions between the private, public and civil society sectors, which is why the state and municipal tourism authorities of Nayarit and Jalisco expressed their support for the initiative. Some highlight actions are: making adjustments to the policy and regulatory framework, encouraging financial mechanisms to implement adaptation solutions, and integrating the risks of climate change into new developments in real estate and tourism infrastructure.

 

Credits: © AEBBA / Ana Lilia Medina. Signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between AEBBA and GIZ

 

Riviera Nayarit – Puerto Vallarta is one of the three pilot sites in Mexico to implement the Ecosystem-based adaptation to climate in cooperation with the private sector (ADAPTUR). It is funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, in conjunction with the Ministry of Tourism (SECTUR) and the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), and the technical support of the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP) and the National Institute of Ecology and Climate Change (INECC).

 

Credits: © ADAPTUR / Ana Lorena Gudiño Valdez. Business leaders of Riviera Nayarit-Puerto Vallarta

The exchange of experiences is a key factor for the development of the municipalities’ climate policy. Considering the above, with the beginning of the elaboration of the Municipal Climate Change Program (MCCP) of Puerto Vallarta, a portal that seeks to promote these actions, as well as promoting work and knowledge networks among actors and municipalities in the development of their programs was created.

As part of Jalisco’s efforts to combat climate change, the municipality of Puerto Vallarta has begun its activities for the development of its Municipal Climate Change program, based on the Guide for the development or updating of the MCCP. During this process the importance of opening a public space was recognized as a fundamental step for the follow-up of its activities and the exchange of information. For this, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (German Cooperation for Sustainable Development) supported the creation of a MCCP Portal in Mexico, which was presented in a webinar on April 9th of this year. In the webinar, the experience of Jalisco in implementing the guide, the progress and lessons learned from Puerto Vallarta in the preparation of its program and a brief user guide to interact with the portal was presented.

In that sense, since last February 2019, the municipality of Puerto Vallarta has been sharing stage by stage its activities and progress through this portal. Additionally, on the blog you can find the achievements and challenges of the municipality for the development of its MCCP, videos, studies and documents of common interest related to climate change. In this way, other municipalities can follow the process of developing their program and in turn can share their own experiences.

The MCCP Portal of Mexico is available on Energypedia, a platform available to the public where knowledge on renewable energy, access to energy and energy efficiency is exchanged. On the site, you can find an interaction guide with the portal step by step, framework questions for writing articles, the complete Guide, among other tools for the development of the MCCP.

 

 

For more information about this Portal, access the following links:

  • Presentation webinar of the MCCP Portal in Mexico.
  • MCCP Portal in Mexico.