Posted on January 15, 2026
The government of Quintana Roo is advancing a large-scale beach restoration plan covering 33.5km of coastline across four municipalities, as coastal erosion continues to threaten public spaces and tourism infrastructure in key destinations such as Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Morelos, and Cozumel. State officials expect the project to receive federal environmental authorization by 1Q26, while environmental organizations have raised concerns over the scope and permitting process of the initiative.
According to Óscar Rébora, Quintana Roo’s Minister of Ecology and Environment, the proposed restoration would span 12km in Cancun, 12km in Playa del Carmen, 7km in Puerto Morelos, and 2.5km in Cozumel, expanding the scope of a beach recovery project originally approved in 2009. “Studies on sand banks have already been carried out, we are waiting for SEMARNAT’s resolution,” Rébora said, referring to the federal Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources.
Coastal erosion affects nearly the entire shoreline of Quintana Roo, according to the state government, largely due to developments built decades ago on dunes and areas that lacked environmental regulation at the time. “We have erosive coastlines because, in the past, construction took place without the environmental knowledge or regulations that exist today,” Rébora said.
State officials estimate that Puerto Morelos currently shows the most severe deterioration, followed by several areas in Playa del Carmen, where sand loss is already compromising public spaces and strategic tourism zones. Over time, some hotels have attempted to restore their beachfronts through individual projects, a practice that state authorities say has accelerated erosion in neighboring areas.
To address this, the state is working on mandatory coastal restoration guidelines that would apply along the entire shoreline and align with SEMARNAT’s National Restoration Plan. The guidelines are being developed through a technical working group that includes hoteliers, the Business Coordinating Council, coastal dynamics specialists and consulting firms.
“The objective is to build a comprehensive master plan based on coastal dynamics, volumetry, bathymetry and restoration techniques that go beyond simply placing sand,” Rébora said. Project costs will depend on the restoration methods ultimately selected, including sand dredging, dune restoration or alternative techniques. As reference, Rébora said the Playa del Carmen segment alone could require an investment of around MX$800 million (US$44.9 million) though the figure could vary.
While the state government argues that the project is progressing within federal environmental frameworks, civil society organizations, academic groups, and environmental advocates, including the Mexican Center for Environmental Law (CEMDA), have expressed concern over statements suggesting that the restoration could move forward without a new regional environmental impact assessment (MIA).
In a public position paper, CEMDA said the 2009 authorization is legally and environmentally insufficient to support the expanded project, particularly because the current proposal includes new municipalities such as Puerto Morelos and extends beyond the original authorized polygon. Mexican law, the organization noted, requires updated or new MIAs for expanded projects, significant modifications or those approved more than five to 10 years earlier.
CEMDA also emphasized that the restoration constitutes a regional project with intermunicipal impacts, involving municipalities such as Benito Juarez (Cancun), Puerto Morelos, Solidaridad (Playa del Carmen), Isla Mujeres and Cozumel, some of which fall within the influence zones of federally protected natural areas. These include the Puerto Morelos Reef National Park and the Mexican Caribbean Biosphere Reserve, which did not exist at the time of the 2009 authorization.
Environmental groups highlighted substantial ecological changes since 2009, including sea-level rise, stronger storms, the recurrent arrival of sargassum since 2015, and the deterioration of coral reefs within the Mesoamerican Reef System. Coral cover has declined from 19% to 13% since 2009, and the 2023 bleaching event affected about 40% of corals, underscored CEMDA.
They also raised concerns about the absence of a public evaluation of the environmental performance of the original restoration project, noting that some coastal sections continue to experience persistent or worsening erosion.
CEMDA warned that beach restoration activities could affect fragile interconnected ecosystems involving beaches, dunes, reefs and seagrass beds, as well as protected species such as sea turtles and shorebirds that rely on sandy habitats for nesting, feeding and resting.
The organization called on state and federal authorities to ensure transparency, public participation and full compliance with environmental law, including Mexico’s commitments under international agreements such as the Escazu Agreement and conventions on biodiversity and marine turtle protection.
