Dramatic mangrove loss in Quintana Roo

“The loss of mangrove in Quintana Roo is “dramatic”. In 20 years, 7,000 hectares of this ecosystem have disappeared  in the state, due to tourism development and this number will increase, especially in the area of ​​the municipality Lázaro Cárdenas, where construction projects are destroying this important natural habitat for many species”, said Jorge Herrera Silveira, researcher at the Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute (Cinvestav), in the framework of the presentation of the rehabilitation project of the Nichupté Mangrove Flora and Fauna Protection Area.

Currently, Campeche, Quintana Roo and Yucatán occupy the first, second and third place, respectively, in mangrove area. But the state with the most loss of mangrove is Quintana Roo,” the scientist said.

“Holbox is a no man’s land, they say they are going to build a house and suddenly they have built a hotel … this is absolutely unacceptable” he said.

The 7,000 hectares of destroyed mangrove represent around 20% of the total extension that the state of Quintana Roo had before it was turned into a tourist destination, and even so it occupies the second place at a national level in this type of vegetation.

Rehabilitation project for the mangrove area in Cancun

Cancun features the Nichupté Mangrove Flora and Fauna Protection Area (APFFMN), an urban wetland that was decreed as a protected area on July 26, 2008, in the framework of the commemoration of the “International Day for the Conservation of the Ecosystem of Mangrove swamp”.

And on Thursday July 26, 2018. the strategy for the rehabilitation of the area known as “Polygon 1” of the APFFMN was officially presented.

This strategy consists in de-solvating and maintaining the existing sewers and the restoration of preferential water flows to recover the wetlands and the hydrological connectivity and hydro-period to promote its good performance.

Once the necessary actions for the rehabilitation of the area were presented, it is up to Fonatur to assign the personnel who will carry out the work.

Source: SIPSE