Mérida’s Concrete Crisis: Eco-Damage Exposed

Mérida, Yucatán — The double standard of municipal, state, and federal governments regarding environmental disasters and real estate developments is a complex and multifaceted issue, where corruption and multi-million dollar business dealings undermine the rights and good intentions that authorities preach. In practice, the reality is different, as is the case in the municipality of Mérida, Yucatán.

Environmental policy is rife with major contradictions. Federal, state, and municipal governments often assert that they protect the environment and oppose environmental disasters, yet simultaneously authorize projects that cause environmental damage, which later become a nightmare for the affected entities. This may be due to pressure from economic and political interests that prioritize economic growth over environmental protection and prefer to lay slabs of concrete and authorize ecocide.

In Mérida, Yucatán, the contradictions are so evident that real estate developments continue to "flourish," causing severe environmental damage. These real estate projects generate significant environmental harm, such as the destruction of natural habitats, water pollution, loss of biodiversity, and discrimination against human rights. Inaugurations or announcements of large developer projects are often seen carried out without adequately considering long-term environmental impacts. However, the regrettable and contradictory fact is that municipal authorities are present, endorsing the natural disaster brought by the construction of luxurious residential complexes, hotels, and office buildings for corporate businesses.

In mid-August, it was revealed that Mérida is set to be consolidated with 329 projects offering new housing. The metropolitan area of Mérida currently has 1,252,324 inhabitants, distributed across 536,007 homes. Mérida and its metropolitan area continue to consolidate as one of the main poles of the real estate market in the southeast of the country.

According to the DIME (Dinámica del Mercado Inmobiliario) indicators for the second quarter of 2025, there are currently 329 new housing projects on offer in the Mérida market, encompassing 20,547 total units, with an available inventory of 9,295 homes. The report specifies that the area considered by the study includes the municipalities of Mérida, Chicxulub Pueblo, Conkal, Dzemul, Kanasín, Progreso, Telchac Puerto, and Umán, forming part of a region that is growing rapidly in infrastructure, added value, and housing demand, according to the report from Softec, a consulting firm specialized in the field.

Of the total projects for sale, apartments represent 57% of the offer, standing out as the typology with the greatest presence. These are followed by single-family homes, horizontal condominiums, and duplex houses, in a market that offers alternatives for different socioeconomic levels, from the social segment to the residential plus segment.

The total market absorption—units sold—during this period was 466.3 units per month, with the areas of greatest activity being the north and west of the city. It is important to note that this consolidation does not include luxury real estate developments and large corporate towers and buildings.