Ecosystem Management and Sustainable Development in Mexico City

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The megalopolis accounts for major environmental deterioration around
the world. Mexico City and its metropolitan area which includes the
Federal District (DF) and 41 suburban municipalities, where 20 million
people live, is no exception.  However, in spite of the urban sprawl
that has occurred in this city in recent decades, there are still
localized ecological reservoirs covering 58% of the DF.  One example is
the Magdalena River Basin, located at the southwest limit of Mexico
City.  However, a lack of strategies to provide for both people’s needs
and environmental protection leaves the area vulnerable to degradation.
We conducted a sector diagnostic analysis of both the
social-environmental and biophysical dynamics of the basin to determine
its integral functionality. Results affirm that the basin is still a
refuge of phytodiversity and an important area for the provision of
ecosystem services for the inhabitants of Mexico City. Since the basin
faces a number of threats that might cause the depletion of
biodiversity, we propose a strategy of ecosystem management and
sustainable local development that includes restoration by ecosystem
type, biodiversity protection, sustainable management, environmental
education and communication.