“Ecological Disaster Looms in Yucatan Jungle – Greenpeace Alert!”

A colossal tourism project in Santa Elena, Yucatan, threatens to cause significant damage to a part of the Maya Jungle, according to Greenpeace Mexico. The project, led by the company Xcaret, includes nine 18-story hotels and is expected to host up to 16,200 guests. This is four times the current population of Santa Elena, a town near the Uxmal archaeological zone.

The proposed construction site falls within the influence area of the Puuc Biocultural State Reserve, a protected natural area. The company's plans also include developing large plots of land for additional tourist projects and residential spaces, which could further exacerbate environmental impacts in the coming years.

Greenpeace estimates that the project will result in the deforestation of nearly 160 hectares and the loss of approximately 165,000 trees. The plans also involve excavating up to 36 meters deep to introduce foreign elements into the area's natural environment, such as artificial waterfalls and rivers.

The project's water requirements are another cause for concern. The daily consumption is estimated to be 6,500 cubic meters, a figure that surpasses the annual volume allocated for urban use across the entire municipality of Santa Elena by 22 times. Currently, only half of the local population has access to potable water.

The project site is home to several bird species that are protected under Mexican law, including the ocellated turkey, the Virginian owl, the white-fronted parrot, and the Yucatecan parrot. However, the company's Environmental Impact Statement has been criticized for failing to propose effective measures to prevent these birds from being displaced by the project.

Greenpeace Mexico is urging Semarnat, Mexico's environmental authority, to reject Xcaret's application to change the land use and to bolster and extend the protection zones in reserves and natural protected areas in Yucatan.