“Revolutionary Sargassum Management in Playa del Carmen Wins Int’l Recognition”

The International Association of Educating Cities has named Playa del Carmen a finalist for the Educating Cities Award for Good Practices in Value Education. This recognition is due to the city's project, "The Sargassum and the Resilience of the City of Playa del Carmen". The project was presented by the Solidaridad government, led by Lili Campos, at the XVII International Congress of Educating Cities in Curitiba, Brazil.

The project focuses on the management of sargassum, a type of seaweed that washes up on the city's shores. Actions include beach cleaning, coastal dune recovery, educational initiatives, and innovative practices. The aim is to ensure the quality of life for the local population.

The comprehensive sargassum management process involves removing the seaweed from the coastline and depositing it at specific locations. Here, it is regularly stirred to speed up drying and release any attached sediments. Later, through various methods, the sand is recovered and reintroduced to eroded beaches.

The award was received by the coordinator of Educating Cities, Haydé Pastrana, and the director of Environmental Management and Climate Change, Lucelly Ramos. The project was praised for promoting inclusion, cultural and environmental education, and the care and preservation of ecosystems. These efforts contribute to the economic and social development of the population.

The winners of the award were the "Community Education Subsystem PILARES" from Mexico City, Mexico, "Interreligious Dialogue" from Odivelas, Portugal, and "Water, Camera and Action – socio-environmental educommunication" from Santo André, Brazil.