Semarnat Approves Beach Recovery Project in Akumal

Akumal, Quintana Roo — Mexico’s Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) has authorized a beach recovery project in Akumal that includes the installation of two breakwaters in front of a hotel, officials announced.

The hotel Secrets Akumal secured federal approval to place the structures over a three-year period, because the work will be interrupted at times by the arrival of sea turtles that come ashore to nest in the area.

The developer, Paraíso Akumal Resort, estimates the project will cost 27 million pesos and includes monitoring activities in the surrounding area.

The plan centers on building an artificial reef using two structures measuring 35 and 45 meters in length. They will be installed roughly 25 meters from the shoreline at a depth of about one meter and will be built from concrete cubes with a trapezoidal cross-section.

Erosion Prompts the Project

The site lies along the coastal strip directly in front of Secrets Akumal, an area where erosion and shoreline retreat have intensified, along with a rising incidence of natural impacts caused by hydrometeorological events.

Unlike some other environmental projects, this one does not directly involve dumping sand onto the beach.

“The recovery of beaches in sites where a permanent or chronic erosion process has been detected must be addressed by considering not only the original position and the historic evolution of the coastline, but also the regional processes and extraordinary events that have led to this coastal retreat,” the technical study prepared by the developer states.

The company applied to Semarnat for authorization in June 2023. The approval was granted this weekend, with an operating term of 56 years.