Problem

The Yucatán is at a pivotal moment in its development and faces a series of environmental and social challenges. In 2023, it lost ~13,600 ha (33606 acres) of natural forest, equivalent to 7.77 Mt of CO₂ emissions due to agricultural production - a significant ecological, economic and social loss. Rising seawater levels in its coastal zones, which spans from the Ría Celestún Biosphere Reserve to the Ría Lagartos Natural Park, as well as projected temperature increases throughout the whole state, poses further threat to the region. These issues continue to compromise the capacity of Yucatán's forest to provide environmental services to society, namely, the supply of sufficient amounts of quality water, biodiversity conservation, and the sequestration and storage of atmospheric carbon.

To address these issues, Yucatán must strengthen its climate strategies and ensure a just transition that not only addresses environmental protection but also provides sustainable alternative livelihoods to local and indigenous communities

Responses

As part of the Governors Group for Climate and Forests (GCF Task Force), public-private financing schemes were developed to support its State REDD+ Strategy. REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) is a global program aimed at protecting forests to combat climate change. In Yucatán, REDD+ focuses on promoting low-emission rural development and restoring high forest value areas through innovative payment methods for environmental services (PES).

The project ran from July 2021 to June 2023 and involved partnerships with various state and federal ministries, municipal authorities, and different key actors such as the private sector, civil society, academic institutions as well as local and indigenous communities. The project states it has helped to promote sustainability and align agricultural and forestry sectors to create strong value chains in the milpa practice (traditional Mayan farming cycle) and beekeeping-meliponiculture.

Over two years, the project reportedly conserved 6,500 hectares of forests, implemented 1,413 hectares of milpa practices, and helped 156 producers achieve international certifications. A forest cover monitoring analysis (2020–2022) suggested forest cover was maintained or increased. Six municipalities—Muna, Ticul, Peto, Tekax, Tzucacab, and Oxkutzcab—were certified for best practices by the National Institute for Federalism and Municipal Development.

Find out more: The Climate Group