Climate Change in Mexico and its Affect on the Mexican Economy

Climate Change in Mexico and its Affect on the Mexican Economy

In November 2011, environmental leaders from around the world attended the COP17 Climate Change Conference in Durban, South Africa. Fernando Tudela Abad, the undersecretary of environmental policy and planning at the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources, was one such expert at the conference. 

In an interview with AlertNet, Tudela emphasized Mexico’s stake in climate change negotiations, as the country itself is vulnerable to the effects of climate change – including floods and droughts. Last year, Mexico experienced its worst drought in 70 years, which affected nearly 70 percent of the country’s terrain. 

Mexico has long-been dedicated to improving its environmental stewardship. For example, the country is credited with successfully resurrecting the Mexico the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at the COP16 in Cancun, Mexico.

In concert with this, Tudela highlighted a recent study endorsed by the government, called “The Economics of Climate Change in Mexico,” which stresses the need for Mexico to move to a low carbon, resilient economy. Specifically, the study indicates that “climate change has and will continue to have significant impacts on the Mexican economy and details impacts on a variety of sectors including agriculture, tourism, infrastructure and public health.”