Assessment of the Human Right to a Healthy Environment in Municipalities of Veracruz: application of the structure–functioning–effects model and INAFED indicators

Abstract

This article assesses the degree of respect for the human right to a healthy environment in the municipalities of Poza Rica de Hidalgo, Xalapa, and Tuxpan, in the state of Veracruz, during the year 2024. A comparative analysis was conducted using the Structure–Functioning–Effects (S–F–E) model developed by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR, 2012) and adapted through the indicators of Axis 5, “Environment,” from the Municipal Performance Advisory Guide (INAFED, 2024).

The research adopts a quantitative and descriptive approach, integrating normative and institutional evaluation with measurable indicators of environmental management. The results reveal substantial variation among the municipalities studied: Xalapa reached a medium–high level of compliance (ICAM = 0.716); Tuxpan achieved a medium level (0.616); and Poza Rica registered a low level (0.466).

These differences demonstrate that regulatory frameworks and environmental programs are not, by themselves, determinants of the effective realization of the human right to a healthy environment. Their impact depends on operational capacity, transparency, and the existence of measurable monitoring mechanisms.

The findings suggest that environmental institutionalization at the municipal level, along with the establishment of control and verification mechanisms, constitutes a key factor for the success of environmental rights systems at the local level, and for consolidating environmental governance based on a human rights approach.

Keywords: Human rights; healthy environment; municipal management; climate change; conventionality control.