INTRODUCTION

According to the World Bank, natural resources in Mexico are among the most bounteous in the world. With only 1.47 percent of the world's surface area, Mexico ranks fourth in biological diversity, first in number of species of pine trees, second in reptiles, and fifth in mammals and plants. Mexico is home to an estimated 10 percent of all known species, many of them found nowhere else on earth. It is the world's leader in the production of silver, celestita, honey, fruits, citrus, denim, and cement. It ranks as the 12th largest economy, second as the main destination of direct foreign investment among developing countries, third in economic growth, and seventh as a tourist destination. Despite the country's natural resources and economic strengths, “the model of development that our country has followed ever since the last century has not been able to prevent the overexploitation of natural resources, nor revert the deterioration of the environment caused by production activities, growth in population, and expansion into urban areas.” Illegal logging in protected forests has shrunk important habitats; one-third of the rainforest was lost in the last 20 years; water, air, and land have reached shocking levels of pollution; and the loss of biodiversity is alarming.

The relationship between environmental protection and poverty is little understood in Mexico and puts at risk our economic and social potential. Constant migration from rural areas to the cities has been identified as harmful for society, the family, and the economy.