Participatory Evaluation of Environmental Impact: The Tehuantepec Isthmus Interoceanic Corridor at San Juan Guichicovi, Oaxaca, Mexico

Abstract

The Tehuantepec Isthmus is a region with a privileged geographical position and a vast biological and cultural diversity, being the target of various extractive and infrastructure projects. Among them, the Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (CIIT, by its acronym in Spanish) stands out, whose magnitude is such that it makes it foreseeable that its implementation will cause environmental impacts that harm the biological and cultural richness of the territory. Although Environmental Impact Assessments (MIA, by its acronym in Spanish) seek to assess, prevent, and mitigate the environmental impacts derived from projects such as the CIIT, they do not usually integrate participatory methodologies considering the perspectives and knowledge of affected communities. This work describes the execution of participative methods for evaluating environmental impacts in the municipality of San Juan Guichicovi (SJG, by its acronym in Spanish), located in the north region of the Tehuantepec Isthmus and affected by infrastructure works associated with the CIIT. The generated information highlighted the depth of local knowledge regarding the ecosystem complexity of the region revealing the deficiencies and limitations of the MIA conducted by the CIIT applicant, showing the importance of involving communities in the environmental assessment processes and, even better, in genuine participatory territorial planning processes.