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| Poza Rica, Veracruz, September 2007 |
Text read at the book launch
the University Book Fair ,
organized by the Universidad Veracruzana.
When and where other contingency occurs caused by a natural phenomenon in the territory of Veracruz?
The book presented here begins with a brief description of the regional geological setting. As is made up of surface and subsurface of the area concerned, as they affect the cyclical rains, winds from the north and south, predominantly. As the changes influenced by human activity in agriculture, exploitation of forests to reach the large erosion of the area.
Others, perhaps the most serious human actions have contributed to changing soil conditions, and the territory itself, are the settlements. For survival settlements have searched the vicinity of bodies of water for immediate use, either on shore or in the mountains. The mountains cut for the passage of roads has been another factor in the deterioration of ecosystems. And nature acts without prior notice, causing damages to the lives of people, animals and cultivated and natural flora.
researchers, authors of this book, the Centre for Earth Sciences of the Universidad Veracruzana, UV-and the Institute of Geology at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico-UNAM-we present 10 contingency cases arising by nature, human action it deteriorating over a period of 12 years, from 1993 to 2005. The reasons for these contingencies are the conditions for exploiting natural resources without taking into account the characteristics of the land, the subsoil of the attributes of its proximity to water bodies or encroachment on the beds themselves.
Geography Panuco Veracruz is the Tonala River along 745 km of coastline. Plains and mountains. In the Gulf of Mexico to the higher elevation of the country, Monte Citlaltepetl-Star or Pico de Orizaba, with its 5.610 meters. Veracruz has all shades of green. It was paradise. Perote valley is covered with large dust devils end of each winter and early spring and large areas of the valley erosion progresses. In Veracruz there is no desert, if in the Valley of Perote erosion is not stopped we will, with severe consequences attached.
The cases discussed in the text are grouped by: hub removal processes, mudflows and floods and land subsidence.
Some cases are
- Chintipán The population of the municipality of Tlachichilco 60 km west of Poza Rica, which as a result of the large amount of rain in June and July 1993 suffered landslides and steep deterioration of housing. Given the high risk population was relocated.
- The town of Francisco I. Madero, municipality of Papantla, where landslides occurred by heavy rains in 1999, leading to collapse of houses and loss of life.
- Costa Smeralda, in 1999, when a tropical depression moved through the Gulf of Mexico remained stationary to be hampered by a cold front, causing a very high water spill over the mountains and glide to shore. It rained in 4 days that it rains in a year on average.
And other cases studied by researchers as part of this book.
text are part of an extensive bibliography, a comprehensive glossary of scientific terms of the subject and an appendix of maps, photographs and illustrations that help us understand what is written in technical terms of geology. In the conclusion the authors emphasize the urgency of a change in the way of conceiving to nature, to exploit it. Propose a change through the design of prevention programs include the development of hazard zonation maps and natural hazards, that based on them can be planned growth of human settlements and the use of natural resources.
Even before Hurricane Karl, which came into the territory of Veracruz on 17 September 2010, the weather phenomenon that caused most affected was the Tropical Depression No. 11. Tropical depression parked, stopped by the cold front, the perfect storm. On October 6, 1999 the floods the north central region of Veracruz, causing flooding in: Tuxpan, Alamo, Poza Rica, Papantla, Gutierrez Zamora, Tecolutla, Martinez de la Torre, San Rafael and Nautla as well as hundreds of villages in the region. Homes filled with mud and fell on them. The coastal road was disabled after falling part of the bridge that leads into the so-called Costa Esmeralda in the town of Casitas and sections of road were washed away, another succumbed bridge between Gutierrez Zamora and Papantla, was Galeana. The road communication was interrupted by the coast. It was only possible by air or sea. Tecolutla River to overflow into the plain above its mouth left fallen and a vehicle. That river before reaching the sea by the alternative pathway that was opened in its path, forming a delta, cut into segments Tecolutla the coastal boulevard and destroyed homes. The landscape changed. The losses were immense. The villagers took the mud from their houses to be inhabited again. Many were left homeless. Elements of the army cleared roads, streets and squares. Relocated some human settlements. He turned to a semblance of normalcy that lasted for several of these populations, until August 2007 when Hurricane Dean entered . Only eight years after several of these homes were affected, such is the case of fractionation Florida, located on the right bank Cazones in Poza Rica.
In the last decade of the twentieth and early twenty-first have entered the territory of Veracruz Hurricanes: Diana in 1990 and in 1993 by Gert Tamiahua; Stan in 2005 by The Tuxtlas; Dean and Lorenzo Tecolutla in 2007, and Karl in 2010 by Chachalacas. The same north than the south and central Veracruz are vulnerable to this type of phenomena.
The September 24, 2010, before the tragedy by Karl and lack of prevention, some citizens published an open letter (1) to the authorities, "federal, state and municipal-between raised and which is current, I quote:
· Stop already begun construction of new subdivisions and housing units in risk properties that nature has as forests, wetlands and beds previous rivers and lakes. Review relevant legislation and corresponding regulations, and granting land use permits and construction, considering the environmental impact statements. Cancel those who have been granted without a livelihood.
· Implement urban development planning, avoiding it is determined by the interests of persons or companies the real estate field, considering the supply and sewage, roads and public transport.
· Prevent the wetland named Tembladeras be transformed by construction that would aggravate the situation of the conurbation Veracruz - Boca del Rio - Medellin, keeping it to continue fulfilling its role as a natural regulator of rainwater.
· rescue the farm La Joyita to continue as a green lung in the center of the state capital. To persist in its destruction, would contribute to the deterioration of the climate of Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico and the world.
· transparency to the state Governor's proposal to restore the lake as the land where the subdivision is located Floresta de Veracruz, Ver buying homes built to their owners with a fair assessment that considers the assessed value. There is precedent in the boundary, where 400 houses were the and is now a lake. Finally, the resources used to pay will come from our contributions to public finance, via the shares they received from the Government of Veracruz. Among all businesses pay for errors or fraudulent few. It is to avoid further losses and return to nature what was taken improperly. And apply relevant laws irresponsibly who authorized the use of land and profited at the expense of others. Analyze the situation of subdivisions and residential units on the right bank of the river Cazones in Poza Rica, Ver, flooded in 1999 and 2007.
· Locate safe premises for the construction of new homes as a replacement for those who lost everything, devastated by the hurricane, avoiding nearby bodies of water or low-level properties. Nature has to charge more expensive to repeat the mistake.
· endow the institutions of climate and weather of adequate human and material resources for better performance knowledge generation. And that this knowledge is used by those responsible for Civil Protection, whose role should be preventive for society and non-promotional a government or worse, a party to avoid dramatic consequences in the future.
We lived on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, are places of emergence and development of this type of phenomena that are worsening as a result of climate change, we must keep learning how to live here. End quote.
certainly requires a planning what can be done in the territory to meet the needs of shelter, food and other products. It is very important to determine whether it is acceptable to the exploitation of minerals with consequent subsurface damage and other developmental activities of society. Restore forests to ensure supplies of water. Must address the problem of solid waste treatment and expand coverage for treatment of wastewater in its entirety. All that planning must be previously known geological conditions and consequences of human actions. With careful planning of what can be done in the area and how it will be easier and cheaper to build the infrastructure for housing, transit of people and goods, water and electricity supply, installation of telecommunications networks and services all the population required for welfare. Otherwise, some phenomena will be presented on any day anywhere in the territory of Veracruz and caused damage that is avoidable.
With the book we can now read, researchers in the field geology of the UV and the UNAM are fulfilling their mission to record the events that nature does happen, its origins and consequences , highlighting their recommendations for avoiding impacts to human life, homes and other property in the future. Gaps persist in these research centers and these must be addressed in order to have as a society, more research and knowledge that enable prevention.
congratulate the authors: Ignacio Mora González, José Luis Hernández Murrieta, Wendy Vanessa Barrera and Morales Sergio Rodriguez Elizarrarás coordinator. By spreading his knowledge make it possible to live in a better environment.
thank the organizers of the Filú, in its tenth year, and especially Sergio Rodríguez Elizarrarás the invitation to participate in this presentation.
(1) Journal Vercruz La Jornada, 24 September 2010.
Title: Hazards Frequently geologist in the state of Veracruz
Authors: Ignacio Mora González, José Luis Hernández Murrieta, Wendy Vanessa Barrera and Morales Sergio Rodriguez Elizarrarás coordinator
Editorial: Universidad Veracruzana
Edition: First, February 2011.
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