ABSTRACT An environmental assessment of Lake Patzcuaro was conducted through simultaneous and systematic fieldwork on bathymetry, water quality, fisheries and P'urhepecha community interactions, along with a review of scientific literature from 1938 to 2022. This study aimed to develop a proposal to address major regional issues by describing the environmental conditions of the drainage basin, lake and natural resources. Deforestation between 2001 and 2021 resulted in the loss of up to 62.5% of primary forest, equivalent to 58,000 ha, including fir, pine, alnus and oak. The water balance shows a progressive deficit driven by high evapotranspiration and groundwater extraction, totaling up to 32.89 Mm 3 /year. A comparison of morphometric parameters based on bathymetric maps from 1989 and 2019 confirmed a decrease in lake surface area to 100.59 km 2 , a reduction in maximum length to 18.0 km, a decrease in maximum width to 8.4 km, and shoreline length at 90.9 km. These changes, along with declines in water quality, pollution and overfishing, have led to the collapse of local fisheries. In 1988, fish production was 2523 tons. However, it gradually declined, reaching a maximum catch of 54.18 tons in 2005. Human population growth, incompatible land use, pollution, habitat loss and overexploitation are accelerating the environmental degradation of Lake Patzcuaro. Currently, low fish production is primarily for self‐consumption. A strategic plan based on the ILBM‐ILEC methodology is essential to secure sustainable benefits from regional natural resources, with social participation playing a key role.
Chacon‐Torres et al. (Thu,) studied this question.