Environment and Sustainability Workshop: Managing the Watershed of the Riviera Maya
An interesting workshop was held yesterday at the Hotel Bahia Principe, about one hour north of Pez Maya, and 5 from Pta Gruesa.
The event, organized by CEA (Centro Ecologico Akumal) in colaboration with Eco-Bahia, Hotel Club Akumal Caribe, Gran Bahia Principe and Asociacion de 
Hoteles de la Riviera Maya was aimed at capacitating and motivating the public and hotel community into increasing their knowledge in good management and practices for the regional watershed.
This complex issue is of paramount importance here at the Yucatan peninsula, where all the water is stored underground, in large underground rivers and karstic soil. How this water is used, exploited and how waste water is disposed will have a great impact on the future of the region.
The workshop was introduced by renown Yucatan Underground Water expert, Dr Patricia Beddows, who explain the particular setting of this part of the World, but also drew parallel to other areas where similar conditions occur and the issues they've had to deal with.
It was interesting to have in the same room Hotel managers and directors, researchers, resource users, private land owners and decision makers - good mix backgrounds and interests!
The aim of the workshop was for all involved parts to agree on protocols, actions and proposals for a better and sustainable use of the watershed.
I must admit I was sur
prised to see so many hoteliers involved in it, not only participating in the workshop, but having a clear understanding on the issue at hand and providing mid and log term solutions to this key problematic of the region.
This workshop will be followed on by a series of meeting early next year, where selected actors will be invited to evaluate and re-think some of the conclusions and actions that came out from this workshop.
We look forward to taking part on future talks and hopefully bringing some light to difficult issue of managing such a scarce, and valuable resource such as water!
Hoteles de la Riviera Maya was aimed at capacitating and motivating the public and hotel community into increasing their knowledge in good management and practices for the regional watershed.This complex issue is of paramount importance here at the Yucatan peninsula, where all the water is stored underground, in large underground rivers and karstic soil. How this water is used, exploited and how waste water is disposed will have a great impact on the future of the region.
The workshop was introduced by renown Yucatan Underground Water expert, Dr Patricia Beddows, who explain the particular setting of this part of the World, but also drew parallel to other areas where similar conditions occur and the issues they've had to deal with.
It was interesting to have in the same room Hotel managers and directors, researchers, resource users, private land owners and decision makers - good mix backgrounds and interests!
The aim of the workshop was for all involved parts to agree on protocols, actions and proposals for a better and sustainable use of the watershed.
I must admit I was sur
prised to see so many hoteliers involved in it, not only participating in the workshop, but having a clear understanding on the issue at hand and providing mid and log term solutions to this key problematic of the region.This workshop will be followed on by a series of meeting early next year, where selected actors will be invited to evaluate and re-think some of the conclusions and actions that came out from this workshop.
We look forward to taking part on future talks and hopefully bringing some light to difficult issue of managing such a scarce, and valuable resource such as water!
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