To illustrate the scale of deforestation, Dr. Sampedro notes that Yucatán deforests 30,000 hectares each year, and Quintana Roo another 20,000. He believes that the deforestation caused by the Maya Train project in the Quintana Roo jungle will impact the Peninsula's microclimate, but not on the scale of the general deforestation carried out by both states. He points out the massive deforestation for livestock activities and sorghum and soybean plantations in eastern Yucatán, as well as the urban development in Mérida.
Dr. Sampedro asserts that the reduced vegetation no longer provides the shade and moisture retention needed to maintain a cooler microclimate. Instead, large tracts of land and rocks are heating up, causing solar radiation to bounce back into the environment. The environmental academic, who has advocated for reforestation of the Yucatecan coast's mangroves and wetlands, stresses that government and society must focus on sustainability, reforestation, and care for water and soil. He warns that these changes in land use are impacting the environmental quality of the State and the Peninsula. He concludes by stating, "The Maya Train is not the cause of this extreme heat."
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