First International Civil Protection Congress Concludes in Playa del Carmen with Over 10,000 Certificates Issued

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — The First International Civil Protection and Disaster Risk Management Congress concluded in Playa del Carmen after three days of intensive sessions, drawing over 2,000 attendees and awarding more than 10,000 participation certificates.

The event, held at the Teatro de la Ciudad “Xaman Ha,” featured 15 presentations and established the municipality as a reference point for professionalization, prevention, and institutional strengthening in civil protection.

Mayor Estefanía Mercado’s administration organized the congress to position Playa del Carmen within strategic resilience and integrated risk management agendas, while strengthening technical capacities and promoting national and international cooperation.

The closing session featured a roundtable discussion titled “Risk Communication and Community Awareness,” where nine national and international specialists analyzed current resilience challenges. Participants emphasized risk communication as a strategic prevention tool, the need for binding public policies oriented toward integrated risk management, and the importance of coordinated work between institutions and society to prevent development from reproducing vulnerabilities.

Discussions also addressed integrating climate change into territorial planning, evidence-based decision making, and strengthening preventive culture at the community level.

Civil protection coordinators and personnel from various Mexican states, along with university students, participated actively in the technical debate, strengthening operational, academic, and social perspectives on risk management.

Darwin Covarrubias, Secretary of Civil Protection, Risk Prevention, and Firefighters for Playa del Carmen, stated that the congress represents a firm step toward consolidating professional, coordinated civil protection that remains close to citizens, with prevention and social awareness as fundamental pillars for saving lives.

The congress sessions, which filled the theater to capacity throughout the three days, were also streamed via official municipal and civil protection social media channels to reach a broader audience.