Environmental Group Demands Puerto Morelos Halt Urban Development Over Water Contamination

Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo — The environmental collective Toma Las Aguas has called on Puerto Morelos authorities to suspend urban development approvals to prevent further water contamination in the area.

The group, composed primarily of activists and scientists, urged officials to implement a Local Ecological Zoning Program (POEL) that uses scientific studies to assess water pollution levels and their impact on residents’ health.

In a petition already submitted to the municipal government, the collective demands genuine citizen participation in updating the POEL, which is currently undergoing a “socialization” process.

The organization noted that the recent update to the Urban Development Program (PDU) not only lacked proper public input but was also approved long before the ecological zoning plan.

They emphasized that the POEL must be updated before the PDU because it establishes the land’s suitability, vocation, and natural boundaries, serving as a mandatory foundation for deciding where and how urban development can occur.

The group highlighted that the current POEL, which remains in effect, originally belonged to Benito Juárez municipality when Puerto Morelos was part of it and lacks updated water protection policies and studies.

According to data from the Regional Peninsular Water Program, 47% of Puerto Morelos residents reported stomach illnesses linked to water contamination in 2019—an issue the collective says authorities have failed to address.

The collective stressed that Puerto Morelos is the primary groundwater supplier for northern Quintana Roo, urging officials to take action to prevent further environmental and public health damage.

The organization’s final demands include formal recognition of Puerto Morelos as a strategic water provider municipality, temporary suspension of urban development approvals until a water balance assessment is completed, evaluation of sanitation infrastructure, a properly approved POEL, guaranteed citizen representation in council sessions, and a formal, reasoned response from the municipal government.