JURISDICTIONAL SUSTAINABILITY PROFILE TABASCO MEXICO

LOW-EMISSION RURAL VILLAHERMOSA

DEVELOPMENT (LED-R) FOREST NO FOREST AT A GLANCE DEFORESTATION (1985-2014) • Original forest covers 3.4% of the state; few remaining natural forest areas are located in inaccessible flood- DRIVERS OF Large-scale agriculture prone areas DEFORESTATION Sources: Large-scale cattle ranching Socio-economic: INEGI, OECD Deforestation: Hansen et al./ • 14% of state categorized as protected areas, but suffer UMD/Google/USGS/NASA; post- Small-scale cattle ranching high levels of illegal logging, hunting, & fire processing by EII AVERAGE ANNUAL 0.70 Mt CO (2012-2014) 2 Deforestation Includes above-ground biomass • Increase in mangrove areas over the past 10 years due to EMISSIONS FROM GDP & below-ground biomass DEFORESTATION Average deforestation 523,613 communities’ use of wildlife conservation management 2

AREA 24,738 km 2

units (UMAs), promoted by national Secretary of MILLIONS MXN POPULATION 2,454,295 (2018) 0.75 Environment & Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) & National HDI 74.17 (2012) 400,000 Forestry Commission (CONAFOR) GDP USD 27.02 billion 0.50 (2016, Base year 2013) • Significant production of crude petroleum derived GINI 0.46 (2014) 200,000 from mangrove ecosystems, with cases of soil & water 0.25 MAIN ECONOMIC Extraction of non-renewable

contamination & ecosystem disruption HUNDREDS OF Km

ACTIVITIES resources 0.2 0.00 0.13 0.25 0.45 0.13 0.39 0.19 0.26 0.13 0.14 0.21 0.33 0.32 0.38 0.65 0.91 0 • One of Mexico’s main beef providers from the Trade 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 1920s-1970s; long history of banana plantations & 2002 2017 Public services currently houses Mexico’s largest banana exporting RURAL/URBAN 43/57% company POPULATION

SPOTLIGHT ON INNOVATION The Grijalva-Usumacinta Watershed Regional Ecological Zoning and its forest landscapes, the program establishes protected areas Program was developed in 2015 by the state Secretary of Energy, for biodiversity conservation and watershed management, as well as Natural Resources and Environmental Protection (SERNAPAM) and productive use areas, such as forestry plantations and agroforestry. A financed by the Fondo Sur Sureste (federal government), targeting characterization of the shared forest ecosystem in the region identifies a watershed shared by the states of Tabasco and Chiapas. The protected, restricted use, productive use, and restoration areas. The program aims to halt the deterioration of ecosystems while improving main beneficiaries are the populations of 3 municipalities in Tabasco livelihoods of the border region population, primarily through and 24 municipalities in Chiapas (total ~650,000 people). To support sustainable forest management. This regional zoning plan is unique the program’s implementation, secure financial resources, public as it covers an area shared by two states that is extremely vulnerable consultations, and coordination support from the national level are to the effects of deforestation and climate change, which has been needed. greatly impacted by landslides and floods. In order to restore the region

Secretary of Natural Resources & Environmental Protection created; renamed Secretary of Energy, Joined Governors’ Climate & Natural Resources & Environmental Protection Forests Task Force (GCF) (SERNAPAM) in 2015 TIMELINE OF REDD+ MRV Working Group Joined the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor (GT) formed IMPORTANT EVENTS (MBC) to maximize biodiversity conservation Development of State Law on Tabasco Ecological Territory State Inter-Secretarial Climate Change Climate Change Project began Planning Program (POETT) Commission (CICCTAB) established; Public policies encouraging published; renewed in 2013 reinstated in 2013 Jul 2018 - National agricultural & industrial & state elections projects, oil exploration State GHG Inventory (IEGEI) State Law on Climate Change published; updated in 2011 Project presented at CICC plenary session

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2018 2020 2030 PLEDGES & COMMITMENTS Rio Branco Declaration1 ◆ JURISDICTIONAL 2 1 Reduce deforestation 80% below baseline. 2 End deforestation. New York Declaration on Forests ◆ 3 Contribute to national goal: Reduce GHG & short-lived climate pollutant emissions 25%; up to 40% conditional on international agreement. NATIONAL Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to UNFCCC3 ◆ ◆ Part of international agreement or forum KEY INTERVENTIONS DISINCENTIVES ENABLING MEASURES INCENTIVES ORGANIZATION(S) FUNDING IMPLEMENTING INTERVENTION & FOCUS BENEFICIARIES

Fresh Breeze Afforestation Project(Tabasco, Chiapas, & Nayarit) Proteak Global Forestry INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL Company, neighboring PRIVATE1 PRIVATE1 REDD+ project/ carbon credit certification to establish forest plantations on areas communities opposite pastures

Climate Change Action Program (PEACC) (not yet implemented) STATE PUBLIC2 STATE PUBLIC2 General population NATIONAL PUBLIC3,4 Identify actions to reduce emissions & vulnerability to climate change

Biological Corridor project in 4 microregions of Tabasco NATIONAL PUBLIC5 STATE 711 rural families in the NATIONAL PRIVATE6 PUBLIC2 MBC region Promote ecological ovens to reduce fuelwood consumption

Feasibility of adaptation measures to Climate Change in the State of Tabasco Municipal government NATIONAL STATE GOVERNMENT2 7 staff, General GOVERNMENT 8 ACADEMIA Identify climate change vulnerability & adaptation strategies with municipal population government personnel

1 Proteak Global Forestry Company. 2 SERNAPAM. 3 Secretary of Natural Resources & the Environment (SEMARNAT). 4 National Ecology Institute (INE). 5 National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO). 6 Mexican Petroleum Company (PEMEX). 7 Budget of Expenditures of the Federation (PEF). 8 El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Unidad Villahermosa (EcoSur) PROGRESS TO JURISDICTIONAL SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGES & EARLY INTERMEDIATE ADVANCED OPPORTUNITIES CHALLENGES Integrated LED-R • Development of State REDD+ Strategy (EEREDD+) expected in 2018-2019 Strategy • Developed a baseline emissions level to inform EEREDD+ & demonstrate contribution towards • Exclusion from national & international LED-R national REDD+ strategy initiatives (e.g., Emissions Reduction Initiative (IRE), Mexico REDD+ Alliance) limits funding, Spatial plan • POETT covers entire state technical assistance, instruments to advance • Tabasco Sustainable Territorial Planning Program (POSTET), under development, will include LED-R policies, & capacity training for municipal urban area planning – demonstrating inter-agency collaboration on territorial planning & state officials • Spatial plans developed through multi-sectoral collaboration, but lacked public consultations • Limited availability of incentives for producers to (especially with IP & women) transition to sustainable management practices Performance • No jurisdictional goals defined to date; development of goals within guidance of Agenda 2030 • Slow follow-through on transforming research results into actions & formalizing strategies (e.g., targets for Sustainable Development Goals • Forthcoming EEREDD+ will help define actions necessary in relevant sectors biodiversity & climate change strategies) • Limited number & low presence of NGOs Monitoring, • State relies on national MRV systems focusing on conservation actions/programs to reporting & • State Forestry Commission (COMESFOR) processes select data from national platforms complement state efforts verification (MRV) according to state needs • Mild corruption within land use enforcement Policies & • State has not developed policies aligned with national climate change policies agencies incentives • Implementation of PEACC delayed due to insufficient funding • Formal inter-sectoral alliance of state land use agencies needed to foster effective • Established multi-stakeholder forums (e.g. CICC, CICCET, GT REDD+, GT MRV) are mostly Multi-stakeholder coordination governance inactive: no funds for meetings, low leadership & attendance Sustainable • Growing sustainable agriculture programs promoted by state (Secretary of Agricultural OPPORTUNITIES agriculture Development, Forestry & Fishing - SEDAFOP) & national (SAGARPA) governments, with limited • SERNAPAM exchanges knowledge with focus (coconut, cacao) neighboring states (Chiapas & Campeche) & other • Academic centers focused on sustainability do not coordinate with government agencies through projects such as MBC & Regional • Existing producer organizations & associations lack incentives to adopt sustainable practices Ecological Zoning Plan • Increasing coordination between state Indigenous • Annual landslides & flooding lead to property loss; land insecurity & lack of legal coverage government & civil associations impedes property recovery peoples & local • Development of the State Climate Change Law • Communities & property owners face direct threats, including land invasions & expropriation, communities Project (presented to CICC) providing momentum especially related to federal oil exploration activities for advancing LED-R LED-R finance • Low financial support for advancing LED-R • Funding from National Science & Technology Council (CONACYT) to academic & non-profit sectors assists in identifying initial research needs CITATION | D. Rodriguez-Ward & O. David. 2018. “Tabasco, Mexico” in C. Stickler et al. (Eds.), The State of Jurisdictional for state government to advance LED-R Sustainability. San Francisco, CA: EII; Bogor, Indonesia: CIFOR; Boulder, CO: GCF-TF. • The global shift towards LED-R & national- COMPLETE REFERENCES & DATA SOURCES PROVIDED AT www.earthinnovation.org/state-of-jurisdictional-sustainability level sustainability commitments (CONAFOR) 2018/12/12 will trickle down to state-level actions (e.g., reforestation, halting deforestation, sustainable

TECHNICAL TEAM SUPPORTEDSupported by: BY forestry practices)

Earth Innovation Institute based on a decision of the German Bundestag