Authorities working to recover six kilometers of forgotten beach in Riviera Maya restoration project

Riviera Maya, Q.R. — A Playa del Carmen beach recovery project will be extended to include Puerto Morelos, Cozumel and part of Cancun. The project, initiated by Irving Rafael Lili Madrigal, will address beach erosion and restoration.

The Director of the Solidaridad Zona Federal Marítimo Terrestre (Zofemat), Irving Rafael Lili Madrigal, says he is working with the Secretariat of Ecology and Environment (Sema) to prepare a strategic six kilometer extension of the Environmental Impact Statement.

“We want the recovery to be comprehensive,” he said.

The project, he explained, includes a detailed diagnosis of the current state of Playa del Carmen sandbanks, particularly in the most vulnerable areas identified after the recent passage of Tropical Storm Sara.

Beaches on 4th, 6th and 16th Streets in Playa del Carmen have been classified as critical erosion points, which, he says, has prompted an exhaustive scientific analysis to ensure the effectiveness of future interventions.

The strategy not only seeks to recover land, but to create a coastal protection system resilient to the ravages of climate change. This project represents more than just restoration, but also preservation.

Lili Madrigal says the Secretaría de Ecología y Medio Ambiente (Sema) is working on expanding the Environmental Impact Statement (MIA) to extend the beach recovery project to also include Cozumel and part of Cancun, with the goal of addressing coastal erosion.

He says the expansion seeks to integrate these areas into the state plan. “The state Sema included an annex or an extension so that it can cover Playa del Carmen, Cozumel and a bit of Cancun, a few kilometers so that the recovery of beaches throughout the state is comprehensive,” he explained.

In the case of Solidaridad, specialized studies have been done to determine the current state of the coastline and ensure that the project is effective and sustainable. The implementation of the plan in Playa del Carmen, Cozumel and Cancun is essential to ensure that these destinations remain competitive and attractive to both national and international visitors.

The expansion of the MIA (Manifestación de Impacto Ambiental) will allow the project to be executed in a coordinated manner, benefiting coastal communities and the tourism sector of Quintana Roo. State and municipal authorities will continue to work together to ensure that the actions are sustainable and respond to the needs of each region.

The government of Quintana Roo confirmed that it has begun the process to expand the Environmental Impact Statement before Semarnat for the recovery of beaches in the northern area.

The objective is to include six kilometers of sandbanks within the recovery permits that have been authorized for several years, but have not yet materialized.

According to authorities, 36 kilometers of beaches with erosion levels have currently been identified, although only an average of 12 are considered in the MIA, which is valid until 2029.

Oscar Rebora, the head of the Secretariat of Ecology and Environment of the state says the intention is to address various points with greater losses, and if the MIA is approved, resources will be sought through the Secretariat of Finance and Planning (Sefiplan).

“There is an MIA that was approved in 2009 and was renewed to be valid until 2029. Now what we are requesting is that the number of kilometers be extended, justifying the points of greatest beach loss that we have suffered in Quintana Roo,” he explained.

In the case of Cancun, it covers from Punta Cancun to Nizuc. In recent studies, it was determined that the rescue should be carried out in focal areas so as not to affect the entire coastal strip.

The procedure has been submitted to Semarnat, after identifying a loss of up to seven meters in the sandbanks. According to Rebora, Puerto Morelos is where there is the greatest impact.

The environmental impact statement that is intended to be reactivated was processed after the passage of Hurricane Wilma in 2005. During the previous state administration, the MIA was renewed for 10 years. Now the intention is to make this project a reality.