Wetland ecosystems for Disaster Risk Reduction

Management, conservation and vulnerability in the Mexican southeast

Abstract

The Ramsar Convention, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the Paris Agreement, as well as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Sustainable Development Goals, clearly recognize that nature-based solutions (Eco-DRR) are essential to achieve sustainable and resilient development. The integration of wetlands as natural infrastructures, alone or with artificial infrastructures, manage to mitigate risk and increase the resilience of communities, however, it is necessary to strengthen their incorporation into territorial regulation instruments defined by Mexican legislation. To the south and southeast of Mexico, there are wetlands that extend across international boundaries where the absence of protection policies or comprehensive planning for their management is evident. This paper analyzes the capacities of transboundary and Ramsar wetlands located in the south of the state of Quintana Roo as Eco-DRR tools. The results show that these wetlands can mitigate the effects of tropical cyclones, storm surges, landslides, floods, and drought. But in turn, they are threatened by anthropogenic activities. The former lack protection schemes and the latter are in danger due to the impact of tourist activities.