Legal framework related to extreme rainfall events, with effects on coastal vulnerability in Northwest Mexico

Abstract

Although increasing and intensification of extreme precipitation events are expected, as consequence of climate change, little is known about the legal framework in Mexico, about the effects that these events produce. Particularly for the northwest coastal area of the country, susceptible to these effects, the robustness and relevance of the current legislation were analyzed, starting from the Supreme Law (Federal Constitution) and subsequently, examining the regulations at the federal, state and municipal levels, on prevention, protection and response to severe meteorological phenomena. We conclude that the legal framework at the federal level is complete enough, but with gaps at the local level, that affect the vulnerability of the population, due to the absence or obsolescence of State Laws on Climate Change and Municipal Risk Atlases. It is mandatory to update the environmental and civil protection legislation in this region, designing practical and accessible diffusion and application systems, to guarantee early warnings, citizen action mechanisms and protection of the population in real-time.