Latin America & the Caribbean

Mexico

National Committee

The International Year of Mountains was used as a springboard to introduce long-term management of mountain ecosystems and sustainable mountain development and also to create concrete programmes that address the chronic poverty of Mexico's mountain inhabitants.

The Committee brought together government, non-governmental organizations, the private sector as well as academic and research institutions in a concerted effort to address these issues and find concrete solutions. A three-point programme was devised; to highlight priority activities for sustainable mountain development, to study their implementation, and finally to explore their geographical application and define priority regions. This National Programme for the Sustainable Development of Mountain areas 2025 (PNZM) is to be implemented over the following 23 years. The Comisión Intersecretarial para el Desarrollo Sostenible de Ecosistemas de Montaña is the body that has been created to implement the programme.

Composition of National Committee

The Focal Point person was Erika del Rocío López Rojas, Director of Cooperation and Financing. The lead organisation in coordinating the activities of the National Committee was the National Forestry Commission.

Government

National Forestry Commission
Ministry of External Relations
Ministry of National Defence
Ministry of Agrarian Reform
Ministry of the Economy
Ministry of Tourism
Ministry of Communication and Transport
Ministry of Agriculture, Cattle breeding, rural development, fishing and food
Ministry of Livestock and Public Credit
Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources
Ministry of Social Development
National Water Commission
Ministry of Public Education
Mexican Petrol
Federal Commission for Electricity
Centre of Municipal development, Secretary of Government
Civil Protection, Secretary of Government
Oficina de la Presidencia para la Planeación Estratégica y Desarollo Regional
Coordinación General de Comunicación Social de la Presidencia de la República
Instituto Nacional Indigenista
Comisión Legislativa de Prevención del Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales
Comisión Legislativa de Desarrollo Rural
Gobierno del Estado de Durango
Municipiode Coatepec, Veracruz

UN

FAO representative in Mexico

NGO

Asociación Nacional de Profesionales A.C.
Scouts de México
Confederación Nacional de Proprietarios Rurales
Fondo Mexicano para la Conservación de la Naturaleza, A.C.
Asociación Mexicana de Secretarios de Desarollo Agropecurario
Unión Nacional de Organizaciones de Foresteria Comunal
Red Mexicana de Organizaciones Campesinas Forestales
Unión Nacional de Ejidos y Comunidades Forestales Confederación Nacional Campesina

Research

University of Chapingo
Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo

Civil society

Cámara Nacional de la Industria de la Radio y la Televisión
Cámara Nacional de la Industria Maderera
Cámara de las Industrias de la Celulosa y el Papel
Cámara Nacional de la Industria Forestal
Cámara de la Industria Mueblera
Asociación Mexicana de Turismo de Aventura y Ecoturismo
Productores Forestales y Agropecuarios de la República Mexicana
Asociación Nacional de Fabricantes de Tableros de Madera

Activities and Achievements during the International Year of Mountains

The National Committee initiatives were launched under the slogan, 'Nuestros Gigantes Olvidados de México' (Our forgotten giants of Mexico). The intention was to make people aware of the importance of mountains, not only from an ecological view but also from a social and cultural one. The committee was responsible for organizing around 178 activities. The opening ceremony was attended by the President of the Republic, Mr. Vicente Fox Quesada.

International

The Third Latin American Conference on the Management of Watersheds (November).
'The 'Mexican Mountains Workshop' linked International Year of Mountains with the International Year of Ecotourism 2002. Participants were invited to interact with the experiences of different communities and protected areas in the mountains of Mexico where tourism is being implemented as an option for social and environmental sustainability. Visits were conducted to projects in the states of Guanajuato, Hidalgo, Distrito Federal, Michoacan and Oaxaca.

National

More than 3,000 km of new mountain roads were laid, and a further 11,000 km of mountain roads were repaired.
A series of fire-fighting courses were run for members of the military.
A reforestation project was initiated over an area of 42,000 hectares.
In the Iztaccihuati-Popocatepetl-Zoquiapan National Park restoration work was carried out on the Plazo Paso de Cortés and the mountain hostels
The Mexican composer Alejandro Sánchez Navarro composed a Symphony entitled 'Gigantes Olvidados; Montañas de America' written to mark International Year of Mountains.

Educational:

Various scout camps were organized.

Public awareness campaigns

A newspaper was published through IYM to publicize events and keep the public informed of new and ongoing projects.
A commemorative Lottery ticket was issued.
The Mexican Postal Service issued a series of commemorative stamps

Publications

Montañas de México
Mexican Innovations in Water Management

Beyond the International Year of Mountains

Towards the end of 2002, the National Committee in Mexico had selected 60 mountains throughout the country which would be the focus of workshops and programmes to identify the nature of degradation and clarify future action. The Committee is planning a new agenda of activities to be coordinated by the National Forestry Agency of Mexico, and developed as an on-going programme of mountain projects.

top

Mountain Partnership

Languages menu:

Navigation menu: