La Jornada
April 17, 2001
By Matilde Perez U

The Puebla Panama Plan (PPP) is part of the strategy driven by the World Banks (BM) and Interamerican Development (BM) to -according to their concept- create "a pole of world class development in Latin America, a new form of planning and an action to participate in a decisive manner in the macro region". In the environmental aspect it attempts to consolidate the conservation and sustainable use of the eco systems of MesoAmerica, which will be "the area within the natural protected areas".

The 102 million 304 thousand hectares that make up what today is known as the PPP region has a population of 63.8 million people and is the cradle of civilizations that hold world interest, there is a vast richness of natural resources in this area that experts argue could be at risk of inadequate management, overexploitation, habitat destruction and illegal trafficking of species of vegetation and animals.

Five months before the PPP's international presentation, the regional director of the UN's program for development (PNUD), spoke of the integration of the Central America Biology Corridor, in which countries that today are part of the PPP participate. In January, the BM and the World Environment Fund approved 19.1 million dollars to finance the Mexican portion of 'this network of tropical jungles and other virgin ecosystems with a large biodiversity.' This corridor already forms part of the PPP; not only the richness of fauna and flora stand out but also its abundance of hyrdrologic and protected natural areas. Among the numbers of inhabitant species there are: 797 thousand mammals; 4 thousand 153 birds; one thousand 882 reptiles; 944 amphibians; one thousand 132 fish and 75 thousand 861 plants. Of its total area, 11.9 millions of hectares -- a little more that a tenth of its territory -- there are protected natural areas, the rainfalls are considerable and the availability of water per capita is high in the Central American zone.

In the Summary of Information from the Puebla-Panama Region, the National Institute of Geography and Statistics (INEGI) presents the trafficking of species as one of the risks against the flora and fauna. The highest portions of illegal sale of mammals are found in Mexico, Panama and Costa Rica; of birds, in Mexico and Costa Rica; of reptiles, in El Salvador, Belize, Nicaragua and Honduras; in fish, Mexico and Belize and of flora Panama and Mexico. The illegal sale of diverse live species -- mainly alligators, snakes and orchids -- effects El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Belize; Mexico stands out for the number of sales of crocodile, alligator and snake skins.

It also specifies the availability of water, a resource that gradually acquires a high economic value. Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama have the highest rainfalls, and it is in the Central American countries where the availability of underground water per inhabitant is greater that of Mexico. In descending order the availability of cubic meters per capita is: Belize, 66 thousand 470; Panama, 51 thousand 616; Nicaragua, 37 thousand 484; Costa Rica, 27 thousand 936; Honduras, 14 thousand 818; Guatemala, 11 thousand 805; Mexico, 4 thousand 136, and El Salvador, 2 thousand 820.

Of the 366 existing protected natural areas that occupy 11 million 930 thousand hectares in the PPP's region, the Central American countries take up 55 percent of the area, and the nine southern- southeastern states of Mexico the remaining 45 percent. Belize, Panama, Guatemala and Costa Rica have the highest percentages in proportion to their national territory.

The environmental analysis in this macroregion also emphasizes the jungle and forest situations. The deforestation by clear cutting, the change in use of soil, over explotation and fires is high in the south-southeast of Mexico and are followed in order of importance by, even though the the proportions are considerably inferior, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama. Between 1992 and 1996 11 million 988 thousand 185 hectares of the PPP region were lost to these phenomenon, in Mexico the quote was a little more than 22 million hectares.

The named forest plantations -- plant species of trees that are destined to produce cellulose materials -- escalate; in the region there are already 317 million 350 hectares destined for this activity, and in Mexico the area is 60 million 700 hectares.

In march of this year, the Central American countries -- Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Panama and Costa Rica -- presented 38 social, economic and environmental development projects for the region. Mexico has emphasized that the governing focus of their proposal will be based in respect to the sovereignty and the search for a consensus with the involved countries and with the population of the nine states that make up the project, and the disposition to 'receive contributions for multilateral and multinational bodies interested in contributing to the growth of a maintained economy' of the zone.

To interest investors, the Vicente Fox Quesada government emphasizes what qualifies as strengths; the existence of an abundant workforce -- there are 28 million inhabitants in the south southeastern region of the country -- a privileged geographic position because of the ports like Coatzacoalcos and Salina Cruz, as well as the construction of the corridor between Chiapas and Matamoros, with the extension to Guatemala and will link the region with the United States market; abundant natural resources, with extraordinary biodiversity and the possibility of lending global environmental services related to the greenhouse effect.

He also underlined the unique qualities for ecological and cultural tourism - the zone is visited by 5 million tourists annually -; multiculturalism and a richness of uses and ethnic customs to enrich regional creativity, and abundant soil with a competitive world level quality.

This way, the strategic projects presented by the Semarnat for Oaxaca, Guerrero, Campeche, Chiapas, Puebla, Tabasco, Veracruz, Yucatan, Quintana Roo and Tlaxcala, -- included for their close economic relation with Puebla - includes an extensive reforestation related to the extraordinary drive of the commercial forest plantations; to expand care units to wildlife; promote ecotourism; develop bio-technology; restructure the fishing sector and implant a coastal order with which they will proceed to implant a coastal legislation that will be proceed to carry out aerial photography.

The governmental predictions of the designated budget for these strategic projects -- that form included part of Semarnat's project absorb the resources of the world environment fund (GEF), and other international organizations and of the private initiative national and international interested in participating in 'the modern frame of public politics'. On the other hand, the Fox administration guarantees the investors access to credit, immediate deductibility of resources that are channeled to the south-southeast region, fiscal incentives and specific lines of aid for agriculture activities, manufacturers and tourism.

The project proposal presented by the Semarnat for the PPP -- of which La Jornada has a copy -- considers it a high priority to promote sustainable use and democratic management in Calakmul, Campeche; the regions of la Montana and Costa Grande, Guerrero; Marques de Comillas, the Lacandon community, Canadas (Ocosingo) and the coast of Chiapas; Mixteca, Tehuacan-Cuicatlan, Chinantla y Chimalapas, Oaxaca; Tehuacan-Cuicatlan and Mixteca, Puebla; the regions of Huasteca and Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz; the northern region of the Yucatan and Quintana Roo.

'They are regions' explains the Semarnat 'with high biodiversity and high peasant and indigenous populations with extreme levels of poverty. It is suggested that regional government investment programs incorporate private initiative to drive the transformation of the communities involved and order, conserve and sustainable use the natural resources of the locality.' The point is made that modification will be made of the uses of these resources in the communities located in the perimeter of the natural protected areas.

There are now 16 development programs in these regions that attend to 204 communities; the objective -- within the PPP -- is to maintain an equal number of programs, but increase the number of benefited communities to 500 in the present administration. In order to do this it is suggested that the annual budget for the priority regions is raised by 10 percent, and the additional resources for said period -- calculated to be a little more that 200 thousand million pesos -- 'will be divided by the federal dependents that operate in the regions.'

In the block of the forest -- protection of the tropical rainforest jungles, action against forest fires, forest health, forest development programs (Profedor), commercial forest plantations (Prodeplan) and national reforestation -- Semarnat sticks out the urgency 'to modify the prevalent deprecatory practices and adopt general agricultural activities and intensive sustainable herds, in the same way as the rational exploitation of the forest resources.'

It is argued that to increase the sustainable forest production -- wood or not -- 'will improve living conditions and offer better employment and investment opportunities; will aid in the restoration of deteriorated areas and in the conservation of natural resources and biodiversity.'

In order to protect tropical rainforest jungles five actions are suggested, among them studies and aid to the community; relocation of irregular projects -- the most complex cases are found in the Biosphere Reserve of Montes Azules, Chiapas and in Chimalaps, Oaxaca -- ; training and education, above all in the communities found in the perifial area of the natural reserves and the tropical rainforest jungles.

The continuity of Profedor and Prodeplan includes as strategic lines to increase productivity in the areas with low forest use; diverse species and their use and to look for aid in the protection of the forest zones. They add: 'Mexico has 22 million hectares of forest land with commercial potential, a third of which is being used. Twelve million Mexicans live In this area, the majority being indigenous groups with a high level of marginization. The forests and jungles of the south-southeast of the country possess a large diversity of species susceptible to taking advantage of that could become livelihood for its inhabitants.'

The number of hectares is not established, but it is suggested that the Profedor now incorporates areas without use, and in some cases subject to degradation or to changes in the use of the soil. To the Prodeplan -- it is proposed -- that in the next 25 years 875 thousand hectares should be destined to the Prodeplan and to achieve an annual production of 18 million cubic meters. The initial economic setback is estimated to be 118 million pesos and will generate 325 thousand jobs, directly or indirectly. The suggestion by state is: Kampuchea, one million 176 thousand hectares, Yucatan, one million 351 thousand; Chiapas, 842 thousand 158; Oaxaca, 803 thousand 569; Quintana Roo, 793 thousand 72; Veracruz, 682 thousand 963; Guerrero, 632 thousand 919; Tabasco, 382 thousand 963; y Puebla, 217 thousand 797 hectares.

Translated from Spanish by Cynthia Connell on November 30, 2001