The coastal city of Cancun in southeastern Mexico has been the country’s main development hub for over half a century, despite the significant environmental damage caused by its construction. However, according to Engineer Rafael Lara Lara, who served as mayor of Benito Juárez around the turn of the millennium, if an attempt had been made to build Cancun with today’s environmental regulations in place, it simply would not exist.
Lara, a pioneer of Cancun’s development, was instrumental in clearing hundreds of hectares of jungle and dredging mangroves and lagoons to make way for both the hotel zone and urban area. This work was carried out without any environmental impact studies or consideration for ecological regulations, as they did not exist at the time.
The lack of regulations allowed developers to carry out projects such as dredging and filling the Nichupté Lagoon to create the Pok Ta Pok golf course and exclusive La Isla residential area in the hotel zone. These types of projects would be nearly impossible or excessively costly and politically demanding today, says Lara.
Despite its environmental devastation, Cancun is now a thriving development hub, but Quintana Roo remains the state with the greatest natural wealth in the country. However, it also faces significant challenges in maintaining its environmental quality due to over-development and lax enforcement of regulations. The threat posed by developers who have exceeded their permits or built without authorizations adds to the pressure.
To prevent further harm to both nature and cities, it is crucial that environmental and urban development regulations are strictly enforced. This will ensure that Quintana Roo’s natural wealth is preserved for future generations while also maintaining a balance between economic growth and environmental protection.
Source: Heraldo de Mexico
