Semarnat authorizes beach restoration project in Playa del Carmen

Mexico’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) has granted conditional authorization for the ‘Restitución de la Playa Bahía del Carmen’ project north of Playa del Carmen. The initiative aims to combat significant coastal erosion, which has seen the shoreline retreat by over 30 meters since 2004, a process that reportedly accelerated in 2019.

The project, proposed for the Rancho Porvenir II site between the Tres Ríos and Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda hotels, involves constructing three breakwaters and performing artificial sand replenishment using material from a marine sandbank near Playa Mamitas. Additional measures include creating an artificial dune and implementing protections for existing mangroves.

Execution is subject to 19 environmental conditions, including coordination with the National Institute of Indigenous Peoples (INPI). Meanwhile, activists have raised concerns regarding the environmental and cultural impact of development in the Punta Venado area of Playa del Carmen. They are calling for more thorough investigations by the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) to identify potential archaeological vestiges and protected species that may not have been fully documented in existing environmental impact statements.