CICY and “Amigos de Sian Ka’an” to join forces for environmental conservation

With the goal of joining efforts to organize and develop educational activities, and research projects aimed at the conservation of water and ecosystems in the state of Quintana Roo, the Yucatan Scientific Research Center (CICY) and Amigos de Sian Ka’an A.C. signed an academic, scientific and technological collaboration agreement.

The document was signed by the directors of these associations: Dr. Pedro Iván González Chi, general director of CICY, and M.C. Gonzalo Merendiz Alonso, executive director of Amigos de Sian Ka´an.

On the occasion of the signing, Dr. Pedro Iván González Chi commented that this agreement is an opportunity to potentiate all the academic and scientific work carried out by CICY in projects that have a positive impact on society.

It should be noted that CICY, through its Water Sciences Unit, located in Cancun, conducts research related to hydrogeology in karst systems, quality and sustainable use of water, as well as ecology and dynamics of aquatic ecosystems. These lines of research can help to identify characteristics of water quality and pollutants that can threaten public health and ecosystems, as well as to provide functional information of the environment and tools to assess the ecosystem’s health.

For its part, the M.C. Gonzalo Merendiz Alonso explained that this collaboration will allow the sharing of information by both institutions that adds to the conservation of the environment.

“It will also allow us to jointly organize training programs for the management of wastewater treatment plants, as well as other joint projects,” he said.

It should be noted that Amigos de Sian Ka´an is a non-profit civil association that seeks to promote, organize, carry out and collaborate in activities aimed at environmental conservation, as well as rational and integral use of the natural resources of Quintana Roo, in order to conserve them for future generations.

Also present were Dr. Adán Caballero Vázquez, director of the Water Sciences Unit of CICY, who will be responsible for the actions arising from this agreement; and Dr. Cecilia Hernández Zepeda, academic director at CICY.