By Paola Velasco
“Botanical gardens protect 70% of the diversity of flora, fauna, and fungi on the planet,”“Botanical gardens protect 70% of the diversity of flora, fauna, and fungi on the planet,”
asserts General Director of the Charco del Ingenio Botanical Garden Mario Hernández.
We interviewed Mario Hernández, recently appointed National President of the Mexican Association of Botanical Gardens of Mexico. The organization, founded 35 years ago by Dr Gómez Pompa of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), currently comprises 40 official botanical gardens throughout Mexico. The president of the association is elected by the General Assembly, and the position lasts three years. Hernández ran with some members of his team in San Miguel, and won the appointment.
Mexico is considered a megadiverse country, one of only 11 worldwide. According to Hernández, botanical gardens bear a great responsibility in the biodiversity of the world because, they protect 70% of the diversity of the planet’s flora, fauna and fungi.
El Charco del Ingenio in San Miguel de Allende, is no exception. Last year it turned 30. The anniversary was celebrated with the construction of two extraordinary buildings. They have barrel ceilings that give them an arty atmosphere, in perfect dialogue with nature. “After an arduous fundraising and administrative project, we managed to gather the resources to carry out this dream,” said Hernández. Architect Pedro Alvarado undertook the long-awaited project. One of the buildings houses the reception area and the gift shop; the other houses the Environmental Interpretation Room, which is due to be officially inaugurated on March 19.
Water issues in San Miguel de Allende
Water and the environment are issues that have kept Hernández busy with drafting and reforming laws, concepts, and minds. “In 2022, we are worse off than what we had been told. The water issue is complex because collaboration of the three government sectors (municipal, state and federal) is required, and this has not been achieved. Clarity is required about the owners of the land; in Mexico each square meter has an owner,” Hernández told us.
For Hernández, the water situation is alarming. San Miguel is in the Támbula-Picachos Sub-basin, which in turn is part of the Independencia Basin. The latter comprises another 10 municipalities. In 1951, the first well in Guanajuato was drilled in San Luis de la Paz. It was 14 meters deep. Currently, water is extracted from a depth of more than 400 meters, but this is fossil water, which is not suitable for human consumption. In SMA there used to be young water springs in the countryside. Today, that water no longer exists. The water we currently consume is in contact with dissolved minerals, such as fluoride, arsenic, and even mercury, which are unhealthy. The issue is delicate and alarming, because the amount of minerals is well above the standards the World Health Organization (WHO) considers safe. The minerals mainly affect teeth, but there are also consequences. Alterations in motor development and attention deficit have been detected in children, as well as afflictions such as cancer.
During the rainy season not all the rain water is stored, and the soil is not capable of retaining it. It should filter through, but regardless of the amount of rain, the aquifers are not recharged. Water is not going to run out. We can find water in deeper areas, but that brings the risk of consuming water that has been in contact with a high concentration of minerals.
The biggest problem is to large-scale agricultural industry. A lot of industry has moved to this area— to Los Rodríguez, Dolores Hidalgo, San Felipe, Xichú, and Tierra Blanca. Eighty five percent of the water extracted from the aquifer is for these communities, as well as for the automotive industry.
In our view, unfortunately, with changes in local governments every three years, projects often stop and have to start over. Often, those who hold public office are only focused on their political career, and are not concerned about solving the root problems.
Politicians focus on immediate stimuli, and the rest does not seem to matter. In San Miguel, those who protect water are part of civil society, and their genuine interest can lead to the best use of natural resources. Through talks and activities, organized civil society identifies and shares the different actions that need to be undertaken. One major concern is the restoration of the soil.
The 67 hectares of El Charco del Ingenio were designed to take advantage of pathways by planting native vegetation; everything there survives through the natural water cycle. There is a habitat for pollinators and for the fauna of the region.
The area generates high-quality oxygen and maintains sediments through ground cover that guarantees that the water does not disappear during periods of drought and rain. There is also a 98-hectare property where filtering dams were built. The dams are distributed to allow water to filter and to generate small wells. An incredible diversity of wildlife has been recorded there.
Hernández asserts that the water situation is an urgent issue; rainwater harvesting should be a public policy, and it is not. In our eagerness to build and cement everything over, we need to consider specific actions. During the rainy season we get up to 13 inches of rain per year. In the rush to build houses, environmental priorities should no longer be allowed to be forgotten. Hernández recommends encouraging small actions to generate big changes.
For example, collecting rainwater and changing the concept of spaces with vegetation that is not necessarily green. In order to design natural spaces, structure and function must be taken into account. All must be measured and work together. These actions will contribute to mitigating the effects of climate change.
