Evolution of a coastal oasis in a high population growth rate municipality: Los Cabos, Mexico

The San Jose Estuary is an important coastal wetland for the conservation of biodiversity, used for centuries for the local population and tourism, in the Mexican municipality with the highest population growth rate, Los Cabos. This considered coastal oasis has been appointed as State Ecological Reserve (SER), RAMSAR site and area of importance for the conservation of birds. It is also an area of beautiful landscape with the contrast environment arid of the region, by what from makes decades is considered relevant for the sustainability of the city of San Jose del Cabo, being area of recreation of local population, tourism national and international, and for activities of birds watching, just in the center of one of the most important tourist region of Mexico. In this context, the purpose of the study was to develop the social, economic, and environmental characterization of the SER, to approach the knowledge of the status of the system, its evolution in the last two decades and as a basis for the urgent management strategies for the SER. Results to date show a high environmental deterioration, which increasing the vulnerability in the last decade. The polygon of the Natural Protected Area (SER) has changed four times in 20 years, demonstrating that their secular geomorphology has been reduced by more than 40% in the last 15 years by the unplanned tourism development. This has resulted in a big deterioration that threatens the sustainable development of the contiguous population of San José de el Cabo, increasing the pollution, fires, and finally, a recent decline of tourist interest in the declared also in 2014 as the priority wetland in Baja California Sur, Mexico. © 2018 WIT Press.