Mexico’s Tren Maya Destroyed 7 Million Trees—Now What?

Mexico City, Mexico — After five years of construction, protests, legal challenges, citizen campaigns, and persistent official denial, the Mexican government has publicly recognized the ecological damage caused by the Tren Maya, one of the flagship megaprojects of former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s administration.

The Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat), led by Secretary Alicia Bárcena, announced during a press conference the development of a “comprehensive” restoration plan to mitigate environmental impacts in the Yucatán Peninsula. However, no clear timeline or defined budget for its implementation has been provided.

A Megaproject That Felled Over Seven Million Trees and Damaged Cenotes, Caverns, and Mangroves

Between 2019 and 2023, the construction of the Tren Maya resulted in the deforestation of more than 6,600 hectares, including the loss of over seven million trees. Additionally, it affected approximately 125 cenotes and natural caverns, critical components of the subterranean ecosystem and the hydrological system of southeastern Mexico.

According to NotiPress, the most severe impacts occurred in the southern Section 5, connecting Cancún to Tulum, where an estimated 3.6 million trees were lost. This segment also traverses ecologically sensitive areas, including the Ramsar site “Anillo de Cenotes” in Yucatán, the Catazajá Lagoon System in Chiapas and Tabasco, and the Los Petenes Biosphere Reserve in Campeche.

“Those Responsible Must Pay”: Semarnat’s Message Amid Unclear Accountability

During a meeting with media and environmental experts, Alicia Bárcena acknowledged that the Tren Maya caused “significant harm” to regional biodiversity and ecological structures. In remarks obtained by El País, the secretary emphasized the need for extensive restoration:

The restoration required for a project like the Tren Maya must be comprehensive because it involves reforestation.

Marina Robles García, Undersecretary of Biodiversity and Environmental Restoration, stated that the costs of the plan should be borne by those who carried out the construction. “Those responsible must pay,” she declared, without specifying funding mechanisms or identifying which entities or companies would be held accountable.

Community Reforestation, Wildlife Protection, and New Natural Reserves

The proposed environmental rescue plan, still in the design phase, includes several measures. According to NotiPress, these include removing metal barriers obstructing wildlife movement, restoring degraded mangroves, and prohibiting secondary roads in jungle areas used for tourism.

Additionally, the government plans to designate Quintana Roo’s cenote and cavern system as a biosphere reserve in collaboration with the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas. If implemented, this would integrate the region into an international network of ecologically protected zones.

Sergio Graf Montero, Director of the National Forestry Commission (Conafor), highlighted efforts to involve local producers, such as chicleros (sapodilla tree harvesters), in regenerating the forest through sustainable use of ecologically and economically valuable species.

Alicia Bárcena also emphasized community participation in the plan, telling Azteca Noticias:

The restoration needed for a project like the Tren Maya must be so comprehensive because it requires reforestation. The communities themselves can help us restore the forest ecosystem.

Environmental Groups Respond: “They Admit We Were Right, But We Remain Vigilant”

Since the Tren Maya’s construction began, environmental groups have consistently denounced its ecological impact. Among the most visible is Sélvame del Tren, a citizen-led campaign formed in 2022 to raise awareness of the risks.

According to El País, the group welcomed the government’s acknowledgment as a first step but vowed to continue advocating for accountability:

From this movement, we will remain open to dialogue to achieve these proposed reserves and actions to repair some of the damage as soon as possible. We will continue denouncing and collaborating because our priority is preventing further ecocide and mitigating as much harm as possible.

Guillermo D’Christy, a hydrologist and member of the movement, summarized the sentiment on social media:

Today, environmental authorities admit we were right. They recognize that the so-called Tren Maya was built illegally, violated environmental laws, and caused massive damage. Now is the time to compensate, restore, and protect the remaining forest.

Despite official statements and promises of ecological restoration, neither Semarnat nor its officials provided a timeline for the plan’s launch, nor has a detailed budget or execution schedule been published.