Playa del Carmen Drafts Rules to Curb Urban Tree Loss

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Officials in Playa del Carmen are drafting a municipal regulation to protect the city’s urban trees and bring a state law dating to 2017 into local effect, according to Rafael Reynoso, regional delegate of the Mexican Association of Arboriculture.

Reynoso said the association is advising local authorities on the document. He explained that the failure of Quintana Roo’s municipalities to harmonize their rules with the State Law for the Conservation, Maintenance, Protection and Development of Urban Trees has hindered its enforcement.

The law, amended in 2022, includes provisions aimed at preventing shopping centers from removing trees and replacing their shade with canvas covers. It also empowers the state environmental enforcement agency, the Procuraduría de Protección al Ambiente, to fine property owners for felling trees in urban areas without a permit.

Land Use Change Cited as Main Threat

Reynoso identified land-use changes and federal projects as among the biggest threats to trees in Playa del Carmen. He said some developments hold authorizations to clear vegetation across large areas, noting that the existence of permits does not prevent the loss of tree cover.

As an example, he pointed to the site where hundreds of homes in the Viviendas para el Bienestar program were built, describing it as a previously wooded area.

The arborist called for stronger tree protections as the city continues to grow. No date has been announced for presenting the regulation for approval.