Environmentalists and citizens have called for the cancellation of the Royal Caribbean shipping company’s project in Mahahual, Quintana Roo, due to the potential environmental implications of the mega-tourism project. Now, the company assures that it will not carry out any work in the area without obtaining environmental authorizations.
In a letter to the public, the company stated that it will submit the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for evaluation in the coming weeks.
“As part of our ongoing environmental commitment, we will conserve 45 hectares of existing mangroves. These mangroves are currently contaminated due to damage to the existing infrastructure. We will actively participate in restoring water flow throughout the ecosystem and will collaborate to reverse the existing degradation of the aquifers, allowing the mangroves to live in a thriving natural habitat and flourish in their surroundings,” the company promised.
However, more than 250,000 people have signed a petition urging President Claudia Sheinbaum to cancel the project, warning that more than 90 hectares of mangroves will be destroyed.
“The project threatens the very existence of Mahahual, a coastal town in southeastern Mexico bordering the second largest coral reef in the world. This project contemplates the construction of a 90-hectare water park on a protected mangrove area, a natural barrier essential to marine life, ecological balance, and our future,” the Change.org petition states.
Royal Caribbean International plans to invest $600 million in the development of the “Perfect Day Mexico” concept, which will be developed in Mahahual, Quintana Roo, and will be ready by 2027.
The company has committed to building a new wastewater treatment plant and solid waste management facility that will not only serve the company’s facilities but also the local community, significantly improving the quality of life for residents throughout the region.
“More than 95 percent of the treated wastewater will be available for beneficial reuse,” the shipping company announced.
The project has been included in the projects of Plan Mexico, an initiative of the current government to stimulate the economy and, at the same time, increase passenger flow, with the goal of making the country the fifth nation with the highest number of international tourists by the end of the decade.
Source: elfinanciero
