Mexico is considered a megadiverse country, as it is home to around 12% of the world’s species. It ranks third in the world in mammal diversity and second in reptile diversity and is home to a rich natural and cultural heritage safeguarded by indigenous peoples and local communities. It is estimated that the country is home to more than 100,000 species of plants, fungi and animals; however, according to Mexican legislation, more than 2,600 species (including amphibians, birds, fungi, invertebrates, mammals, fish, plants and reptiles) are classified under some category of risk.
The Yucatan Peninsula, located in southeastern Mexico, has a great diversity of ecosystems ranging from tropical rainforests to coral reefs, petenes, mangroves, dunes, cenotes and ojos de agua, coastal lagoons, caves and subway rivers, among others. Nationally, the peninsula has 54% of Mexico’s mangroves and the largest continuous rainforest. However, all of these ecosystems are undergoing rapid deterioration due to human activities and climate change, with nearly 80% of the rainforests disturbed and only 22% of their territorial extension covered by mature vegetation, mainly concentrated in natural protected areas.
The Tech4Nature Mexico flagship is strengthening monitoring and conservation of key species in Dzilam State Reserve.
Stretching across more than 69,000 hectares along the northern coast of the Yucatán Peninsula, Dzilam State Reserve is a dynamic landscape where land and sea converge to sustain one of Mexico’s most biologically rich corridors.
Mangroves, coastal lagoons, dunes, petenes and tropical dry forests form a mosaic of interconnected ecosystems that serve as critical habitat for hundreds of species. Recent monitoring efforts have documented over 140 species, including at least 40 under some category of risk, highlighting the site’s conservation importance.
At the heart of this landscape is the jaguar (Panthera onca), an apex predator whose presence signals ecosystem health. The Yucatán Peninsula holds the most important jaguar population in Mexico, and Dzilam plays a key role within a Priority I Jaguar Conservation Area. Here, jaguars move across coastal forests and wetlands, connecting Dzilam with other protected areas such as Ría Lagartos, reinforcing the region’s ecological connectivity.
Today, Dzilam is not only a refuge for biodiversity but also a living laboratory. Through Tech4Nature Mexico, the reserve is advancing toward the IUCN Green List, using data, technology, and community participation to strengthen governance and ensure that conservation decisions are informed, transparent, and scalable.
Since 2022, Tech4Nature Mexico has been helping reveal the rhythms of life in Dzilam State Reserve through a combination of artificial intelligence, camera traps, and eco-acoustic monitoring. In a landscape where mangroves, wetlands and forests shelter species that are often difficult to observe, these tools are making biodiversity more visible and conservation more informed.
So far, the project has analysed more than 80,000 images and videos and over 600,000 audio files, documenting more than 140 species, including 40 under some category of risk, and helping track at least 16 individual jaguars across the wider landscape.
Now in Phase 2 (2024–2026), the initiative is expanding its reach. Its goals include strengthening biodiversity monitoring, developing the BioScanner AI platform, consolidating multisector governance, supporting the integration of Dzilam into the IUCN Green List Standard, and building a model that can be replicated in other sites.
This work is already contributing to decisions beyond monitoring alone. Project data has informed discussions on reserve expansion, zoning, and ecological connectivity, while also supporting a more transparent and evidence-based path toward stronger long-term management of the site.
This progress is made possible through a strong multisector partnership. C Minds leads the implementation and coordination of the initiative, working closely with the Government of Yucatán, through the Secretariat of Sustainable Development (SDS), which oversees the management of the reserve and ensures that project insights inform public policy. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) provides the global framework and supports the site’s pathway toward the Green List Standard. Huawei contributes cloud and AI infrastructure, while the Polytechnic University of Yucatán supports the development of technological solutions and capacity building. Rainforest Connection brought expertise in eco-acoustic monitoring during Phase 1, and local leaders from Dzilam Gonzalez and Dzilam de Bravo play a central role in data collection, stewardship, and the long-term sustainability of conservation efforts.
