Lake Pátzcuaro Watershed: Environmental Degradation and Management Challenges

Abstract

Lake basins are complex socio-ecological systems shaped by the interaction of hydrological, ecological, and human processes. In Mexico, a significant gap persists between scientific knowledge and its translation into effective public policy, limiting conservation outcomes. The Pátzcuaro Lake illustrates this challenge, as its environmental dynamics have been deeply altered by human activities while maintaining strong cultural importance for purépecha communities. As an endorheic system, it is particularly vulnerable to hydrological imbalances and pollutant accumulation. In recent decades, the basin has undergone continuous environmental degradation driven by water level decline, eutrophication, pollution, and sedimentation. Although recent policy efforts, such as the National Water Plan 2024–2030 promoted under the administration of Claudia Sheinbaum, emphasize integrated water management, their effective local implementation remains limited. This study aims to analyze the environmental condition of the basin through a review of scientific literature and a critical assessment of federal and state policy instruments through a systematic analysis under the SALSA scheme, which allows the identification of opportunity areas to strengthen environmental management strategies for the conservation and restoration of this lake system.