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Cancun Mexico November 29th - December 10th 
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Quintana Roo: Environment

Quintana Roo is one of Mexico´s most biodiverse states. Ninety percent of its territory consists of low-stature forests and it is home to over 1,000 species of flora, more than 360 species of birds, 105 mammal species and 83 species of amphibians and reptiles. The Mexican government preserves valuable land and marine ecosystems in more than a third of the state’s territory (1,574,965 hectares) by means of the Protected Natural Areas Program. Furthermore, between 2007 and 2009, the government contributed various resources for the conservation and restoration of more than 1,630,000 hectares in the state through other environmental protection programs, such as payment for environmental services, reforestation and commercial plantings.

In Quintana Roo are 13 wetlands recognized by the Ramsar Convention. The Ramsar's places at Quintana Roo cover an area of 1,171,116 hectares, of which mangroves comprise 129,921 hectares. Mangroves play an important role in providing food, shelter and breeding areas for many commercially relevant species. They are also important as a natural barrier against hurricanes. The Natural Protected Areas cover 64.5% of the current mangrove area, around 83,826 hectares.

In addition to the state´s efforts of preservation, several programs are in place for the sustainable use and management of natural resources. Wildlife Management Units (UMAs in Spanish), which cover 3.82% of the state’s area, are viable alternatives for socioeconomic development in Quintana Roo.

The UMA's are supported at Centro para la Conservación e Investigación de la Vida Silvestre “San Felipe Bacalar” in the municipality Othon P. Blanco. This institute specializes in receiving wildlife that has been rescued and confiscated during the wildlife protection operations carried out by the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (PROFEPA) and the Attorney General´s Office. The center handles different species of the region, such as tapirs, spider and howler monkeys, various species of parrots and parakeets, as well as the great curassow. The latter is successfully bred in captivity within the same center.

The center also has various conservation programs for the white loggerhead, olive ridley, leatherback and hawksbill turtles. Local communities are involved in conservation efforts for these endangered species at the state’s main nesting beaches.

In order to make more conscientious use of the soil and to prevent human activity from impacting the environment in Quintana Roo, the government has issued ecological zoning laws for the Cancun-Tulum corredor and the Sian Ka’an, the Costa Maya and Bacalar areas, as well as for the Benito Juarez, Cozumel, Isla Mujeres and Solidaridad municipalities. These zoning laws regulate the use of natural resources and of the land so that new urban and tourist developments add to Quintana Roo’s prosperity, while preserving and maintaining its natural resources and biodiversity.

Waste management in a state with a growing population also requires increased efforts. Quintana Roo produces about 640.45 million tons of garbage annually. Although it has seven landfills that meet current environmental regulations, the government is assisting local authorities in the clean-up and closure of the various open-air dumps still in existence. Between 2009 and 2010, over 84 million pesos of state and federal resources went to creating four new landfills, and beginning the first phase of construction of the northern regional center and a landfill in Tulum. Overall, these projects will benefit a population of 357,948 people. 

In addition, the Mexican government is working with state authorities to provide Cancun with its own landfill. Although the project is still in the design phase, this is the first step towards remedying the urgent need for an environmentally-safe disposal site for this city.

In Quintana Roo, water resources are underground; almost all of the water used in production and for human consumption comes from its aquifers. The Mexican government’s concern that sewage does not contaminate any bodies of water is the driving force behind the operation of wastewater treatment plants across the country. Quintana Roo operates 29 treatment plants with a processing capacity of 1,601 liters per second, which is equivalent to treating 67% of the waste water produced in the state. For the water and sewage systems, coverage is currently at 93% and 89.5%, respectively.

Quintana Roo is one of the major tourist destinations in the world because of its beautiful beaches. Its coast marks the beginning of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System; it is the second-largest barrier reef in the world after that of Australia. The coral reefs of Quintana Roo are Federally-Protected Natural Areas. The world’s largest shark species, the whale shark, congregates in the north of the state and the area was declared a Biosphere Reserve in 2009.  Here, visitors are allowed to swim with this fish: a sustainable economic activity and an alternative source of income for the communities in the area.

Having well-maintained beaches is vital to the economy of Quintana Roo, hence the urgent need to restore sand to the beaches that were eroded by hurricanes in the last decade, especially Hurricane Wilma, which in 2005 damaged 90% of the beaches in northern Quintana Roo. To resolve this issue, the federal government is replacing sand on the beaches of Cancun, the Riviera Maya and Cozumel in strict compliance with environmental legislation. The project, supervised by the Mexican Institute of Water Technology, meets all the criteria of viability and sustainability, and ensures the recovery, preservation and maintenance of Quintana Roo’s beaches.

As part of its heritage, Quintana Roo contains many reminders of its ancient Mayan past. Tulum National Park comprises an over 900 year old fort, while the ruins of Chenchomac, Chunyaxche, Vigia del Lago, Xamach, Tampak and El Platanal are part of the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve. Its natural areas also include freshwater cenotes, or sinkholes, sites that are inseparable from the traditions, ceremonies and legends of the Mayan people.

    

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