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The United States and Mexico are facing a number of challenges that will shape our future. Certainly, reconciling our modern way of life with the preservation of our environment will be amongst the most profound and important.
The American and Mexican wetlands are ecosystems of vital importance in our world. Indeed, it is not an understatement to say that the world our children inherit will depend in no small part on whether we can guarantee the survival of this critical natural resource. 
Ambassador Garza at the "Cuatro Ciénegas" reserve in Coahuila. |
I have visited wetlands throughout Texas, and in Coahuila and Chiapas in Mexico. In October 2005, I visited Cuatro Ciénegas Valley in Mexico-- a rare desert wetland and one of only two intact desert-spring ecosystems remaining in North America. Located deep within the heart of the Coahuilan Desert, the 200,000-acre Cuatro Ciénegas Valley is an exceptionally biodiverse area. The purpose of my visit was to highlight the hard work of local organizations, the U.S. Embassy, and the Nature Conservancy, through the Parks Peril program, to protect this vital natural resource.
In fact, much has been done to protect our wetlands. On February 2, 1971, 18 countries signed the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, promising not to destroy their wetlands and to preserve what remains. One hundred, fifty-four countries are now parties to this convention, including the United States and Mexico. Ramsar Convention signers acknowledge February 2 as “World Wetlands Day,” so that we can celebrate and acknowledge the important link between our wetlands and a healthy environment.
To date, Ramsar Convention members have set aside 1600 parks totaling 121.4 million hectares of wetlands world-wide as ecological sites to be preserved for posterity. These are called Ramsar List sites and 65 of them are in Mexico (including Cuatro Ciénegas).
Mexico, the world’s fourth most bio-diverse country, and the United States are long-term partners in a joint effort to preserve our wetlands. For example, we are working with our Mexican partners to protect the critically important Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve on the Yucatan Peninsula. Additionally, the United States helps support environmental education programs that promote ecotourism, and we assist non-profit organizations that are conserving areas rich in wetlands. Our efforts have been successful: the United States has contributed more than US$25 million towards programs designed to preserve Mexican wetlands, and 2.1 million hectares have been saved.
Wetlands are much more than parks for tourists to enjoy. They are natural barriers to flooding, erosion, and storm damage. The quantity and purity of our water supply also depends on these critically important areas. Wetlands sustain a great variety of plant and animal species, such as migratory birds and the deep-ocean and coastal fish upon which fishermen depend for their livelihoods.
Not all damage to our wetlands is man-made. In 2005, Hurricane Stan severely damaged the La Encrucijada Biosphere Reserve in Chiapas and its fishing grounds. The United States saw a challenge and worked with our Mexican counterparts and private partners to repair the destruction.
In addition to assisting our environmental partners in Mexico, we also are working to preserve wetlands in the United States. During Earth Day celebrations in 2004, President Bush announced an initiative designed to increase U.S. protected wetlands sites by more than three million acres over the next five years.
Both Mexico and the United States must remain committed to efforts such as these to preserve the wetlands heritage on which future generations depend.
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