Quintana Roo Unveils $800 Million Beach Restoration Plan

Governor Mara Lezama has announced plans to restore the beaches of Quintana Roo, starting in Playa del Carmen. The project, which will span 12 kilometers, is estimated to cost 800 million pesos. The funds will be sourced from federal, state, municipal, and private entities, according to Óscar Rébora, the head of the Secretariat of Ecology and Environment (Sema).

Beach erosion, exacerbated by swells and hurricanes, has significantly damaged popular tourist destinations including Solidaridad, Cancún, and Cozumel. The restoration of these sandy areas is crucial to prevent further negative impacts on tourism and to protect the coastal environment.

Monitoring efforts and proposals submitted to Semarnat suggest that four critical areas will be targeted for restoration: 12 kilometers in Cancún, another 12 in Solidaridad, 6 in Puerto Morelos, and 1.5 in Cozumel.

The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources has received a request to extend the Environmental Impact Statement (MIA), which has been in effect since 2009. The extension would allow for the comprehensive recovery of the beaches in Cancún, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, and now Puerto Morelos, as erosion has accelerated in this last municipality.

“We have had an MIA since 2009, and it was renewed in 2019; it is in force until 2029. We have requested a modification to broaden the polygon and we are waiting to be able to expand it because there were only 12 kilometers for Cancun. We are looking to expand it with researchers to the points where the greatest beach loss has occurred; about six kilometers in specific points, especially in Puerto Morelos, another part in Cancun and another in Solidaridad,” Rébora added.

Since 2017, there have been plans for an integrated beach recovery project in the north of Quintana Roo, which was to be financed by the government of then-governor Carlos Joaquín González. A 2019 study by The Nature Conservancy revealed that 50% of the beaches in Quintana Roo were already deteriorated, with 25% having no chance of recovery, mainly those in the northern part of the state.

Despite these alarming findings, no projects were carried out by the Trust for Security, Social Development, and Comprehensive Management of the Coastal Zone, which was tasked with the recovery of the beaches of Quintana Roo.