In the context of World Environment Day, scientists, legal experts and government representatives from Mexico and the United States put their heads together for the two-day symposium, Unidos por Chapala, held June 5 and 6 at the campus of the Instituto Tecnológico de Chapala (ITS).
The confab was wrapped around the theme of building binational public policies for sustainable management of the Lerma-Chapala watershed. It was jointly sponsored by the Instituto de Derecho Ambiental (IDEA) and the United States Consulate in Guadalajara. Participants included representatives of the Chesapeake Bay Program, the Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide, the Jalisco Water Commission and the state branch of the federal Environment Ministry (SEMARNAT).
Speaking at Monday’s inaugural ceremony, U.S. Consul General Tanya Anderson underscored the importance of shared responsibilities to assure the well-being of Lake Chapala and its neighboring communities. She touched on urban sprawl, untreated waste water and pollution as major factors that have increased stresses on the ecosystem.
Nicholas DiPasquale from Annapolis, Maryland compared and contrasted problems and management approaches concerning conservation of the Chesapeake Bay and the Lerma-Chapala watershed.
He outlined the different roles played by federal, state and local governments, experts, NGOs and stakeholders in decision making, governance and funding to preserve and protect the Chesapeake Bay and its natural resources.
In relation to the zero-funding policy for conservation programs appearing in President Donald Trump’s budget bill, DiPasquale noted that federal money for this year has already been allotted and Congress will have the last word for 2018. And since state and local governments contribute heavily to the program, caring for the Chesapeake ecosystem is not dependent on the purse strings held in the nation’s capital.