Playa del Carmen, Q.R. — A group of citizens are hoping to have Riviera Maya underground spaces included in city planning. Playa del Carmen Urban Cenotes is promoting to have caves and cenotes included in the city’s new planning regulations.
The group participated in the recent public consultation to update Playa del Carmen’s Urban Development Program (PDU). Aljendra Flores, who is with the group, said the objective is to incorporate environmental criteria and protection of the karst subsoil in the city’s planning.
She reported that in addition to presenting technical observations, the group will promote the inclusion of the municipality’s caves, caverns and cenotes regulations within the new territorial planning instrument.
Flores explained that one of the main points they highlighted is the risk involved in building in a karst environment where the subsoil presents natural cavities, underground rivers and fragile formations that can be affected by urban developments without adequate studies.
Flores noted that the PDU update represents a key opportunity to establish stricter guidelines that protect these ecosystems and reduce structural risks, both for buildings and for the population.
Among their observations presented to the city were the need for updated risk maps, greater transparency in environmental impact studies and the harmonization of the specific regulations for caves and cenotes with urban growth plans.
She said the goal is not to stop development, but to ensure that it is sustainable and compatible with the geological nature of Playa del Carmen where the network of caves and cenotes is an essential part of the environmental balance and tourist appeal of the destination.
