Centro Ecológico Akumal
Paul Sánchez-Navarro
Walking along the beach in the early hours of the day, the sand soft between the toes, the gentle waves lapping at the shore, the sun waking the coral building the reef just off the coast; all coming together to form the coastal ecosystem offering its paradise to us. We walk and enjoy, sometimes not fully understanding what it takes to get us here, keep us happy in our hotels and maintain the natural beauty that brings peace to our mind and makes this a vacation.
The coastal ecosystem is made up of mangroves, jungle, dunes, beaches, lagoons, bays and coral reefs, and all of these are habitat for myriad of creatures. Each habitat has its own dynamic as well as interaction with surrounding habitat. It is an amazing integration of water, vegetation, geology, freshwater and the sea, and all are tremendous to enjoy.
However, our very presence here creates inevitable impact on this symphony of nature. This impact has been called our ecological footprint, and as our desire to enjoy the Mexican Caribbean grows so does our influence on the ecosystem. We build hotels as close to the shore as possible, sometimes cutting down mangroves or otherwise altering coastal habitat in order to enjoy thousands of comfortable rooms. We build new roads to get to all areas of jungle and beach, shopping centers to provide us with our daily needs, golf courses to give us something to do on land, marinas and docks for easy access to the open waters, and lately, numerous subdivisions of homes so we can permanently enjoy the Mexican tropics.
Our impact is increasing, as is our understanding of the destruction this “footprint” is causing. New plans for major urban and tourism development along the coast, from Cancun to Chetumal, are going to cause yet an even greater footprint on the area, from jungle to reef, as thousands of hectares of jungle will be cut down to make way for golf courses, subdivisions and cities. Besides the habitat loss and the resulting impact on local fauna, this will result in more waste water and garbage that, if not handled correctly, will cause greater damage to the aquifer and reef.
These threats to ecosystem health are growing. Mangrove destruction means less safe nursery area for juvenile marine species and less freshwater filtration, allowing more pollution to reach the sea. Dune destruction causes more unstable coastlines and greater impact inland from tropical storms. Jungle deforestation reduces habitat for bird and land species, diminishing the rich biodiversity of the Yucatan Peninsula. Disappearing reefs mean less protection to the coast from tropical storms, long-term beach erosion, reduced fish stocks, and even a collapse in the marine web of life.
There is hope though, there is a way to protect and enjoy at the same time. We already know so much about the human – nature relationship that we can make choices which would lessen our footprint, slow down the destruction, and even allow for ecosystem recovery. But we have to decide soon.
What can we do? First, we can remember that nature needs us to understand our impact in it. We can learn more about how an ecosystem works, the importance of a coastal habitat, how fish, turtles, and other marine life depend on the same coral reef that gives us so much pleasure. We can accept that entire coastal economies depend on healthy reefs and mangroves. Then we can act; we can make sure to follow the basic principles for interacting with nature – respect, observe and enjoy without having to touch or take. We can ask our hotels how they manage their waste water, ask them to keep the beaches clear during sea turtle nesting season, and ask them about their recycling program. We can stay at hotels that are attempting to reduce negative impacts on nature by using less electricity, less water, using biodegradable cleaning products, recycling, composting their organic waste, and keeping their beaches clear at night for nesting turtles and hatchlings. We can also stay at hotels that respect mangroves and other coastal ecosystems in their design and construction. If building or buying a home, we can make sure it uses all available technologies to reduce energy and water use, as well as using integrated waste management systems to treat waste water.
Back home, we can drive less, recycle, plant and maintain a tree, recycle and compost, start a recycling program if your community does not have one; support organizations working to protect the environment, and continue to learn about and improve human interaction with nature.
Please check out these other sites for more information on Ecological Footprints.
myfootprint.org
bestfootforward.com
happyplanetindex.org
panda.org
May your footprint on the planet become lighter. Enjoy!
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