The Government of the State of Colima and Pronatura Noroeste signed a collaboration agreement through which they will join forces to promote ecosystem conservation and sustainable development in the state.
This is a legal instrument valid until October 2027. It was signed by Mrs. Indira Vizcaino Silva, Governor of the State of Colima, and Angelica Lizeth Jimenez Hernandez, head of the Institute for the Environment and Sustainable Development (IMADES) of the State of Colima. Pronatura Noroeste was represented by its Executive Director, Dr. Gustavo Danemann.
As a result of this agreement, the first joint work plan agreed upon by IMADES and Pronatura Noroeste aims to create an Ecological Conservation Zone in Laguna de Cuyutlan as a protected natural area under the State of Colima jurisdiction. This area represents 90% of Colima’s wetlands and is the second-largest coastal lagoon in the Mexican Pacific. It also borders the Port of Manzanillo, considered Latin America’s third most important port. In the words of Gustavo Danemann, “the direct relationship between the Port of Manzanillo and the Laguna de Cuyutlan provides an opportunity for a world-class industry to participate in the conservation of a protected natural area actively, and in turn, benefit from the environmental services provided by this wetland. Port industries, the salt industry, and agricultural, livestock, fishing, tourism, and energy production activities all converge and benefit from the conservation of Laguna de Cuyutlan. Working in coordination with the Government of the State of Colima, we can make the development of this region economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable.”
The Director of IMADES, Angelica Jimenez, emphasized that “the collective actions that we can undertake are key to the conservation of our Colima.” She added, “linking up with Pronatura Noroeste will allow us to enrich technical work to rescue the biocultural nature of our coasts.”
The agreement, which came into force in November 2022, establishes that the signatory institutions will seek, among other things, to facilitate the adaptation of the people of Colima to climate change and mitigate the effects of this phenomenon. This applies to Colima’s wetlands, protected areas, beaches, and seas. It also includes collaborating on essential issues such as water management, fisheries, and tourism.
Emphasizing the importance of this agreement, Gustavo Danemann pointed out that “the State of Colima is the southernmost part of Pronatura Noroeste’s work area. We recognize the environmental leadership of Governor Indira Vizcaino Silva and Angelica Lizeth Jimenez Hernandez, director of IMADES, and we thank them for the opportunity they give us to collaborate in the conservation of the flora, fauna, and priority ecosystems of this important region.”
At Pronatura Noroeste, we have dedicated more than 30 years to conserving priority ecosystems in northwestern Mexico.
