New measures needed to protect Yucatán’s beaches from pollution
Worrying levels of pollution have been detected at four of Yucatán’s beaches, say federal health authorities.
The most polluted beaches in Yucatán are in Santa Clara, Dzilam de Bravo, Chicxulub, and Progreso.
Regulators say that even these four beaches are still within acceptable limits for recreational activities such as swimming, but warn that unless action is taken this may not be the case for much longer.
Although the presence of trash on beaches has long been a concern, specialists say that poor water management is the main culprit of Yucatáns worsening water pollution problem.
Because the ground in Yucatán is composed mainly of extremely hard limestone, the construction of sewer systems is not viable.
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As a result, both domestic sewage and industrial wastewater often find their way into the ocean, especially after particularly heavy rains.
Some communities have attempted to combat this problem by installing drainage systems near coastlines. These have a tendency to clog up and overflow during storms and arguably make the problem even worse.
But Yucatán’s water quality issues are not limited to coastlines. Increasing levels of pollution have also been detected in drinking water sourced from its underground aquifers.
Some communities have begun to take bold steps to protect their water by kicking out companies that create unacceptable levels of waste. A prominent example of this is Homun’s fight against one of Mexico’s largest pork producers, PAPO.
Senior Editor Carlos Rosado van der Gracht is a Mexican expedition/Canadian photographer, adventure leader, and PhD candidate. Born in Mérida, Carlos holds multimedia, philosophy, and translation degrees from universities in Mexico, Canada and Norway.
