1. ACHIEVEMENTS
2014
Certainly, 2014 was a milestone concerning how Amigos de Sian
Ka'an addressed environmental conservation and sustainable devel-opment.
As part of the Mexican Tourism Fair in May that took place in
Cancun, we internationally launched Maya Ka'an - Earth’s Pulse. Your
Heartbeat, the brand new ecotourism destination in the heart of the
Maya Zone of Quintana Roo. Maya Ka'an oers a unique opportunity
to combine the conservation of the Sian Ka'an World Heritage Site
with the sustainable development of Mayan communities, diversify-ing
the tourism activities that the Mexican Caribbean oers to the
world. Maya Ka'an is one of the most important steps taken by
Amigos de Sian Ka'an in its 28 years of existence and presents great
opportunities and exciting challenges for commercial, tourist,
environmental and social consolidation.
Maya Ka’an is an achievement that lls us with great enthusiasm since
it has brought so many outcomes within the project: the work of 18
consultants who developed 27 studies that support the destination
and its brand; the denition of numerous sustainability criteria for the
destination; the preparation of 4 educational tools that help local
companies achieve national sustainability criteria; as well as, the
collaborative eort of 17 local ecotourism businesses, including 9
now certied by the Secretary for Environment and Natural Resources
(SEMARNAT) which have formed their proper Community Tourism
Network. Furthermore, we continue to strengthen the sales and
marketing of local handicrafts through the cooperation Mayak'ab and
are working with communities in the municipality of José María
Morelos with funding from Kellogg Foundation and ADO Foundation.
All these achievements over the years were possible due to nancial
support from the Multilateral Investment Fund (FOMIN) as part of the
Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) together with the Alliance
WWF - Carlos Slim Foundation, the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor,
the ADO Foundation, FUNDEMEX, MICROSOFT, UN Development
Programme (UNDP), the Mexican Fund for the Conservation of
Nature, SEMARNAT through its Department of Tourism and Amigos
de Sian Ka'an itself. The application of those resources, however, was
carried out with support from the Trusteeship of the Riviera Maya, the
Secretary of Tourism, the Secretary of Environment of Quintana Roo,
the Federal Secretary of Tourism, SEMARNAT, the National Commis-sion
of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP), the municipalities of
Felipe Carrillo Puerto, José María Morelos and Tulum and many of its
citizens, such as, Governor Roberto Borge Angulo who provides
support and is head of the Consultative Council of Maya Ka'an.
Maya Ka’an is a vision that became reality and at Amigos de Sian
Ka’an, we are very proud to share it with Quintana Roo, Mexico and
the world.
Another year comes to an end and with it important
results achieved by Amigos de Sian Ka’an that demon-strate
the eorts of a professional and diverse team and
a committed and participating board, accompanied by
dozens of organizations, groups, communities,
businesses, public agencies and consultants. The
support of numerous individuals, companies, interna-tional
organizations and foundations who believe in the
work of Amigos de Sian Ka'an for nature and society of
the Yucatan Peninsula has made those eorts possible.
Hereby, and with great pride, we present a summary of
Amigos de Sian Ka'an’s achievements in 2014.
OFFICIAL LAUNCH
ECOTURISM DESTINATION
MAYA KA’AN
EARTH’S PULSE. YOUR HEARTBEAT.
2. CLIMATE CHANGE AND
GREENHOUSE GAS
EMISSIONS
One of the biggest global concerns today is climate change caused by
excessive greenhouse gas emissions. The Yucatan Peninsula and
particularly the state of Quintana Roo are pioneers and national leaders
in attending this complex problem. Thus, Amigos de Sian Ka'an joined
the work of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Ministry of
Tourism and Ministry of Economic Development and developed,
together with technical support by EarthCheck and the seless partici-pation
of dozens of hotels, the rst inventory of greenhouse gases in the
tourism industry. In summary, we found a carbon footprint of 69.38
pounds of CO² per guest / night.
This information is vital for the design and implementation of mitigation
and compensation mechanisms of CO² emissions. It also allows
Quintana Roo to contribute to global eorts in this important eld and
to set a worldwide example by being a tourist destination that not only
stabilizes but even reduces its emissions in the medium run. This
remarkable eort was possible thanks to funding from the Alliance WWF
- Carlos Slim Foundation and the United States Agency for International
Development (USAID) through their Program for Low Emissions Devel-opment
in Mexico (MLED).
SUFFICIENT AND CLEAN
WATER FOR RURAL
COMMUNITIES
As part of the Master Plan of the Watershed Council of the Yucatan
Peninsula, Amigos de Sian Ka'an is implementing a peninsular
wide project to provide integral water management systems to 10
rural communities in Quintana Roo. These systems, installed in
every house, allow capture and storage of rainwater for use in
household chores and treat wastewater generated by washing
clothes in articial wetlands. In addition, each household, which
until now had no toilet, has now composting toilets that improve
their habitant’s quality of life, do not generate contaminated
water and produce compost for backyards and vegetables. Two
communities also receive water management systems in their
schools. This project, changing the lives of hundreds of families, is
initiated and funded by the Gonzalo Rio Arronte Foundation and
has supervision and technical support of the Mexican Institute of
Water Technology, Water and Social Welfare Civil Society and the
Committee on Water Supply and Sewerage (CAPA).
This same work is also carried out in the state of Yucatan by
BEPENSA Foundation and in the state of Campeche by Peace
Fund. In order to improve the treatment of wastewater in the
entire peninsula, we also published a Manual of Good Practices for
the Operation of Water Treatment Plants in alliance with CAPA.
Owing to the sponsorship of the Mesoamerican Reef Tourism
Initiative (MARTI), Calizas Industriales del Carmen (CALICA) and
the Watershed Council of the Yucatan Peninsula we developed
this manual for institutions operating in the public and private
sector. Through those activities, Amigos de Sian Ka'an continues
its eorts to eliminate water pollution in the whole Yucatan Penin-sula
and to improve lives of thousands of residents.
Foto: J. Soriano / Archivo GECI
3. REMOVING
EXOTIC SPECIES
Recently in Quintana Roo, as in many other parts of the world, there
has been an increase in the presence and distribution of invasive
plants and animals originating from other regions and aecting
native species. Such is the case of casuarina, an Australian pine-like
tree competing for decades with mangroves and other ecosystems.
Equally worth mentioning is the red mite that causes illness or even
death of palm trees.
The National Forestry Commission, the Commission for Natural
Protected Areas (CONANP) and Amigos de Sian Ka'an have joined
forces in a program to eradicate casuarina and red mites in the
Biosphere Reserve Sian Ka'an, in the Tulum National Park, the Island
Contoy and Protected Wildlife Area Yum Balam. Through these two
programs, 101,000 acres of casuarinas and 5,000 acres of red mites
eected wood were removed. Both campaigns were accompanied by
broadcasting and environmental education activities.
In the South of Quintana Roo we have continued collaborating with
CONANP and the Island Ecology and Conservation Group (GECI) in the
eradication of cats and rats in the island group of Banco Chinchorro.
Raising awareness for the problem and explaining solutions to local
shermen has prevented reinfestation of the species in the northern
island part Cayo Norte, where awareness campaigns are carried out by
GECI since last year.
CSI
QUINTANA ROO
As part of an initiative by CONANP, and with support from the US
Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), we brought the
famous television series CSI to the coral reefs of
Quintana Roo. The organization Coral Reef CSI
has developed a number of forensic tools to
investigate, document and where appropriate
test, environmental crimes
committed to the reef.
Regarding its expertise in
the subject, Amigos de Sian
Ka'an organized a workshop
for authorities, NGOs, and
others, to provide informa
tion on how to develop and
implement a number of
forensic techniques that
help to obtain and register
scientic evidence to
facilitate the prosecution of
those involved in the
destruction of reefs.
Stranding, inappropriate or illegal
construction work, looting of corals
and sh and many other faults occur on a daily basis in one of the
most threatened and damaged ecosystems we have – the Meso-american
Reef- which at the same time is the reason for Quintana
Roo being Latin America’s leading tourist destination today. These
techniques help us to take new steps in the legal evolution for
environmental matters in Mexico and prepare us for the new legal
frameworks that will become eective in the upcoming years in
the country.
Another important project being part of our marine conservation
program is a model developed by The Nature Conservancy and
Amigos de Sian Ka’an, which determines viable geographic areas
to build shing shelters in the waters of the Mexican Caribbean.
These shelters are legal tools that promote the conservation of the
reproductive processes of sh holding their populations for
environmental health and commercial sheries. The models gener-ated
will be used by Kanan Kay Alliance, a consortium of shing
cooperatives, civil associations and government agencies focused
on the design and creation of such shelters.
4. PUBLIC POLICY AND
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
Since its foundation, Amigos de Sian Ka'an’s vocation has been to
inuence public policy in order to ensure the sustainability and
certainty of its conservation actions. Besides promoting Natural
Protected Areas as we traditionally do, in 2014, Amigos de Sian Ka’an
participated through numerous other programs in the development
and adjustment of public policies; such as the Watershed Council of
the Yucatan Peninsula (where we preside the Users General Assem-bly);
the basin committees in Rio Hondo and Tulum; the committees
for clean beaches and sanitation; as well as, the committees on
environmental management of the municipalities of Benito Juarez,
Solidaridad, Tulum and Bacalar (as a full member). In these systems,
we contribute signicantly with information, suggestions, comments
and even objections. We also took advantage of participating in the
Committee on Environmental Crimes in Southern Quintana Roo, the
State Committee for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and
Forest Degradation (REDD+) and several more.
AWARD FOR
28-YEAR TRAYECTORY
We are very proud to announce that in June Amigos de Sian Ka’an
has received the Migual Alemán Foundation award for its continu-ous
work for environmental conservation, preserving natural
habitats and promoting sustainable development in the Yucatan
Peninsula for over 28 years.
This award is the result of the strong work principles Amigos de
Sian Ka’an has pursued since its foundation but also of the capac-ity
for innovation and leadership that has always characterized us.
Above all, it is a recognition by one of the top environmental
personalities of the country for each member and associate of
Amigos de Sian Ka’an.
THANK YOU
2014 has brought great achievements for
conservation and sustainable development in
Mexico. Those are the results we can accomplish
when supporters like you step in and join our
Actions for Nature. Nonetheless, greater projects
also mean greater responsibilities. Continue making
a difference today through:
• A donation via Paypal on
www.amigosdesiankaan.org
• A national transfer or check by contacting
conservacion@amigosdesiankaan.org
• An international transfer through the Friends of
Mexican Development Foundation by contacting
Molly Hickok (mhickok@ghspm.com)
… and help bring more incredible results!
MUCHAS GRACIAS!
Foto: J. Soriano / Archivo GECI
