BCS Congress analyzes reform to strengthen citizen participation in environmental issues

La Paz, BCS.– This week, the Baja California Sur State Congress began analyzing a proposed reform to the Citizen Participation Law with the goal of strengthening the mechanisms through which the population can directly influence decisions related to the environment and territorial development.

The initiative, promoted by legislators from the Ecology and Environment Commission , seeks to establish mandatory binding public consultations before authorizing projects with significant environmental impact, such as coastal tourism developments, mega-real estate projects, or extractive activities.

"Today, many decisions that directly affect communities and ecosystems are made without listening to the people who live in those territories. This reform seeks to change that reality ," said Representative Rosa Icela Rodríguez , one of the initiative's sponsors.

Highlights of the project include:

· Facilitate digital access to environmental information.

· Establish mandatory participatory roundtables in areas with fragile ecosystems.

· Create citizen observatories that evaluate compliance with environmental standards by

companies and governments.

· Civil organizations such as CEMDA and Costa Salvaje have welcomed the initiative, but ask that it be

include indigenous peoples and fishing communities in the legislative process.

The reform will be discussed in committees in the coming weeks and could become one of the most significant legislative changes of the year in environmental matters and participatory governance in Baja California Sur.