Centro Ecologico Akumal - CEA
Juan Antonio Huerta
Property Manager of Ukana
If you have visited Akumal lately you may have seen a new friendly face wandering through the local businesses who appears as if he is on a mission. That may very well be Juan Antonio Huerta. Juan Antonio is the new Property Manager for Ukana. He has come to Akumal with high hopes of making Akumal a model of sustainability for the entire Municipality. (For those who don't know - Municipality is the term for county.)
The Municipality where Akumal is located spans from Playa del Carmen to Tulum and inland to Coba. One might think that this is a large order to fill and a big dream to have, but no one is more aware of that fact than Juan Antonio. He was the Head of the Municipality Environmental Development from 2001 to 2005. During that time Playa Del Carmen alone was the fastest growing city in Latin American and at times the world.
It was a difficult position to be in. It took him 6 months just to get the Municipality program in place with staff, infra structure and policies. He was involved with securing and utilizing federal, state and local funds. He focused on Coastal Management which included waste management, water quality and education. He worked closely with Environmental lawyers and law enforcement. He struggled with a growing population and finally, after years of hard work there was a change in government and there is now a new Head of Environmental Development.
Now Juan Antonio is extremely optimistic about his goals because he can put his ideas to work on a smaller, more realistic scale in Akumal. He says the Municipality is only 12 years old and he thinks now is the time to make the necessary changes. In order to do so effectively, there needs to be a model and Akumal fits that bill beautifully. He also thinks that there has been a change in the way Government views NGOs which will help CEA's programs to be supported and therefore more successful.
One issue we talked in length about was the need for education and training. The coastal area needs an identity and a sense of ownership. Many of the problems facing the area are due to the fact that many people don't identify with it nor feel a sense of ownership. The workers come from other areas that they call home. Because the major industry is tourism people coming to the area to work, also don't feel it is home. That is slowly changing and people are feeling not only a sense of ownership but a pride and responsibility for its future.
When asked “Why here?” Juan Antonio spoke passionately about the fact that he sees a future here. He believes that Akumal truly can become a much needed model and that the people who are a part of Akumal can work together – the NGO, CEA, Government, Locals, Vacationers, Home Owners and other Residents. He explains that in 3 to 5 years the Riviera Maya is going to be very different. Here in Akumal there is more of a consensus to work together. Akumal is small and most everyone is interested. He says some still don't understand what is coming and don't grasp what 200,000 people within the next 20 years will mean.
He strongly believes that we are in a position where we must work hard to defend the quality of life along the coast and that is equally important to the people and to the environment. There is no separating the quality of the environment from the quality of peoples' lives.
Akumal can lead the way to do this more than any other place can. Why? Because the projects already exist. There are 10 years of conservation already in existence including Agenda 21 which, in 1991, was issued by the UN and is a Sustainability Document that states in general terms what to do in order to achieve quality of life. There are local laws which just have to be followed and enforced. Most people living in Akumal in general can picture and understand this. Once this Micro Eco model becomes a pilot, the project to make it work can happen in other places, not only along the coast but world wide. But it will take everyone in the community getting involved.
We discussed the Bay Protection Program and Juan Antonio predicts it will be met with some resistance because people don't like change. However, he thinks for the most part that people will be supportive because they understand what is knocking at their back door. The most important thing is for the lines of communication to open and for everyone to be heard and have their thoughts expressed. What everyone must remember is Akumal's beach is public but the land at the entrance is private. Akumal is one of the few beaches accessible to the public but the public must play its part to protect it. To assure this the Bay Protection Project will need to manage the beach and recycling program.
The recycling program is an integral part of this program and everyone must be committed to it. In the last 2 months 4,000 pounds of glass has been taken to a center in Playa along with 400 pounds of electronics, 700 pounds of plastic, 100 pounds of batteries and 200 pounds of card board. This is just the beginning. Everyone - from the pueblo to the businesses and every tourist that comes to visit - must get on board to help! The plan is simple. 1. CEA will receive recycling materials from the businesses and residents and soon from the town and schools and businesses across the highway. 2. The recycling needs to be sorted. Juan Antonio says people are actually responding positively towards this because they believe in it. 3. The collected materials are sent outside to a larger center.
I asked Juan Antonio what is the Key to Success? He answered – Excellent Service – not good but excellent and if we maintain that then it will survive and we will have a successful recycling program.
In addition to the revised recycling plan is beach management which will include buoys and signs, which is a priority. The goal is to make Akumal a Marine Protected Area. Marine Protection for Akumal will reach from Yal-Ku Lagoon which just got new buoys, to South Akumal. These areas need to be zoned for swimming, recreation, conservation, scientific use, education and interpretation of the environment. People need to snorkel responsibility and navigation of boats needs to be clearly marked.
Together with a blue print and desire we can make Akumal a model for sustainability and protect it’s beauty for years to come. And by making Akumal the model we can inspire more places to do the same.
Good Luck Juan Antonio and welcome to Akumal.
| P.O. Box 13326, El Paso, Texas 79913 | |
| Telephone: | 1-915-584-3552 |
| In the U.S: | 1-800-351-1622 |
| In Canada: | 1-800-343-1440 |
| Fax: | 1-915-581-6709 |
| reservations@hotelakumalcaribe.com | |