Environmental NGOs and the political ecology of biodiversity conservation in Mexican forests

Mexico is a multi-cultural megadiverse country, which due to its geographical and climatic characteristics also represents a strategic potential refuge for endangered species. It is considered a biodiversity hotspot in which there exist complex socio-political factors that impact forests and are contributing to their decline. Efforts to halt biodiversity conflict with the economic interests of the national government and private companies, while also framed within the collective ownership of Mexican forests in the form of ejidos. This thesis aims to reveal the intricate power dynamics of multi-actor governance within Mexican forests through the perspectives of environmental NGOs. The political ecology approach intends to provide insights concerning the socio-political and environmental conflicts that contribute to the lack of progress in tackling biodiversity loss trends. The analysis of the diverse roles that Mexican ENGOs play simultaneously, reveals their understanding of the social, political, and economic drivers of biodiversity loss and their orientation towards field-based action and policy reform albeit constrained by political change. In this sense, ENGOs are practitioners of political ecology theory, and their experience navigating the socio-political structures of Mexico offers an asset to create multi-stakeholder partnerships.