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Lagunas de Montebellonamednew UNESCO Biosphere Reserve
On
May 26th the Lagunas de Montebello National Park,
located in the area that connects the Central Highland region of Chiapas and the Gulf of Mexico’s
coastal plain, was added to UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves during
the International Coordinating Council of the Man and the Biosphere (MAB)
Program meeting.
UNESCO
indicated that the special importance of this reserve lies in its location.
This is a hydrological region of high biological diversity and is critically
important for water harvesting and climate regulation. The karst
landscape and more than 50 lagoons give the area its scenic beauty.
Local
communities are involved in the management of the site's ecological resources.
They practice a range of agricultural activities increasingly focusing on
practices compatible with conservation such as organic coffee production.
Reforestation and tourism also support sustainable development of the area.
The
naming of this park as a biosphere reserve makes Mexico
the country in Latin America and the Caribbean with the most number of
registered protected areas- 39, just behind the United
States and Russia.
