Effects of International Migration on Land Use and Conservation in Mexico

North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC

Investigators

Abstract

Dr. Nora M. Haenn (North Carolina State University), in collaboration with researchers at El Colegio de la Frontera Sur in Mexico, will undertake research on the interactions between rainforest conservation and migration from Mexico to the United States. One-fourth of Mexico's parks and protected areas are located in the southern parts of that country, places where large-scale international migration has only recently become the norm. Because southern Mexico is also home to tropical ecosystems, the research asks how migration affects rainforest conservation. The researchers will investigate the impact of international migration on rainforest protection by surveying 200 rural families living on the border of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve. Calakmul is Mexico's largest protected area for tropical ecosystems. The survey will pose questions on agricultural and forestry activities, migration, and remittances. The investigators previously carried out similar surveys in Calakmul, when international migration from this region was unusual. By comparing past findings with current land use and migration trends, the research aims to identify the impact of migration on forest cover. The research is significant because it will address the connections between two significant trends in the contemporary world: on-going land cover change and dynamic international labor migration. These topics are not usually linked in either social science theory or policy development. But because local conservation efforts are increasingly focused on local household participation, even as adult male household heads are frequently working abroad, investigation of those linkages is critical. The research also builds ties between U.S. and Mexican institutions and supports student education.