Cancún to Plant 11,000 Trees in Urban Green Push

Cancún, Quintana Roo — The municipal government will launch the "Arboriza Cancún 2025-2027" program on August 23, aiming to plant 11,000 trees by the end of the current administration. Mayor Ana Paty Peralta de la Peña announced the initiative during the installation of the Municipal Urban Arborization Committee.

Targeted Zones and Implementation

Fernando Haro Salinas, Director of Ecology, detailed that the plan will unfold in seven phases, with the first stage running from August 23 to November 22. During this period, 2,750 trees will be planted, timed to coincide with the rainy season to improve sapling survival rates.

Mayor Peralta emphasized that this marks the first comprehensive urban tree-planting project in the city’s history. Priority areas—identified as "urban heat islands" through studies by the Municipal Planning Institute (Implan)—include López Portillo Avenue, Tulum Avenue, Cancún Avenue, Villas Otoch Paraíso, Privadas La’kin, and the city’s foundational district. These zones, characterized by extensive concrete surfaces like parking lots, exacerbate environmental and social challenges.

Native Species and Donations

The program will focus on native species such as mahogany, ceiba, guayacán, chacté, x’kanlol, and siricote. Notably, the municipality received a donation of over 16,000 trees from Yucatán, currently housed in a municipal nursery pending placement.

Committee Oversight

The Arborization Committee approved future meeting dates: December 2, 2025; February 24, 2026; August 18, 2026; December 1, 2026; February 9, 2027; and June 15, 2027, to monitor progress.

The initiative aligns with broader efforts to mitigate urban heat effects and enhance green infrastructure in Benito Juárez municipality.