Del Potencial a la Acción: OMEC y Conservación Inclusiva en México

The community of San Francisco Telixtlahuaca in Oaxaca, Mexico, maintains significant forest cover through a strong communal governance system and collaboration with municipal authorities. While the community no longer identifies as Indigenous and lacks formal protected area status, it is motivated to conserve forests to protect water and soil. Conservation is primarily funded by federal payments for environmental services (PSA), though the community faces challenges regarding technical documentation, urban expansion, and river pollution. While unaware of the OECM framework, community members expressed openness to it if it provides technical and financial support without imposing new restrictions.

• The community possesses a robust governance system where the Communal Assembly serves as the highest authority, supported by an elected Comisariado de Bienes Comunales and a Council of Vigilance. This structure coordinates effectively with the municipal government to manage public services and access resources.
• Forest cover in the municipality remained stable or increased slightly between 2010 and 2020, rising from 73% to 75% of the total area. The community estimates it has approximately 5,000 hectares of conserved native forests, consisting of oaks and pines.
• Conservation efforts are almost entirely dependent on public funding, specifically the Payment for Environmental Services (PSA) program from CONAFOR and the State of Oaxaca. These funds support reforestation, firebreaks, and a ten-person surveillance brigade.
• The community faces several environmental and territorial threats, including the pollution of the Atoyac River by untreated urban wastewater, urban expansion into communal lands, and the lack of a formal territorial ordering plan.
• There is a significant gap in technical documentation and monitoring; the community lacks maps, written records of forest conditions, and access to its own management plan, which was handled by an external technician.
• While the community was previously unaware of Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures (OECM), they view the designation as a potential opportunity if it increases visibility and financial support without adding new restrictions.

APA

Hesselbach, H., & de la Maza, R. (2025). Del Potencial a la Acción: OMEC y Conservación Inclusiva en México. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1821/Mexico_CS_Comunidad_de_San_Francisco_Telixtlahuaca.pdf

Chicago

Hesselbach, Hilda, and Roberto de la Maza. Del Potencial a la Acción: OMEC y Conservación Inclusiva en México. WWF International, 2025. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1821/Mexico_CS_Comunidad_de_San_Francisco_Telixtlahuaca.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Hesselbach |first1=Hilda |last2=de la Maza |first2=Roberto |title=Del Potencial a la Acción: OMEC y Conservación Inclusiva en México |publisher=WWF International |date=December 2025 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1821/Mexico_CS_Comunidad_de_San_Francisco_Telixtlahuaca.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{hesselbach2025del, author = {Hesselbach, Hilda and de la Maza, Roberto}, title = {{Del Potencial a la Acción: OMEC y Conservación Inclusiva en México}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2025}, month = dec, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1821/Mexico_CS_Comunidad_de_San_Francisco_Telixtlahuaca.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }