The Ministry of Ecology reports that the greatest damage is in Cancun, Cozumel, Solidaridad and Puerto Morelos.
It is urgent to rehabilitate 31.5 kilometers of eroded beaches in Solidaridad, Cancun, Puerto Morelos and Cozumel. The project must begin in Playa del Carmen where work will be done to recover 12 kilometers, with an investment of resources from the three levels of Government and the private sector of at least 800 million pesos, said the head of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (Sema), Oscar Rebora Aguilar.
Beach erosion, caused by storm surges and hurricanes, has significantly affected key tourist destinations such as Solidaridad, Cancun and Cozumel, he stressed that the preservation of these beaches is vital to avoid negative impacts on tourism and for the protection of the coastal environment.
According to the authorities, 31.5 kilometers of beaches with erosion levels have been identified, although only an average of 12 considered in the Environmental Impact Statement (MIA), which is valid until 2029, but which needs to be updated to include new polygons.
“According to the monitoring carried out and the proposal made with Semarnat, four critical points would be worked on: 12 kilometers in Cancun; another 12 in Solidaridad, 6 in Puerto Morelos and 1.5 in Cozumel. Precision shots must be taken,” he said.
For the extraction of sand and the filling of beaches in those four destinations, he assured that they have two authorized banks: one in Cozumel and another in Isla Contoy.
He mentioned that the Quintana Roo Integrated Coastal Zone Management Trust is currently in operation, which replaced the Beach Recovery Trust, established after Hurricane Wilma, which made landfall in Quintana Roo in 2005 and destroyed the beaches in Cancun. Rebora Aguilar recalled that at that time 900 million pesos were invested only for the beach area in Cancun.
Now, they will begin the project in Playa del Carmen, where they will require at least 800 million pesos for six kilometers. The investment amount for the 6 kilometers in Cancun, or in Puerto Morelos, or in Cozumel is not yet known, she indicated.
In the case of Cancun, the project covers Punta Cancun to Nizuc. Recent studies determined that the rescue must be carried out in focal areas so as not to affect the entire coastal strip.
The procedure was 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 Declaration 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.
He announced that this Thursday they will hold a meeting with officials from the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) to address the issue of beach recovery and other environmental issues.
Source: Por Esto
