Protecting reefs—and communities
The coral reefs off the coast of Mexico are part of the Mesoamerican Reef, the second-largest barrier reef system in the world.
Millions of tourists visit Mexico each year, attracted by its beauty and culture. But these tourists also place a huge strain on Mexico’s natural resources, including its beautiful coral reefs. We work with government and collaborative partners throughout Mexico, and in key places like Cozumel, to build resilient communities and promote water quality monitoring to keep coral reefs and human communities healthy.
Building resilient communities
Our work in Mexico is a balance of effective resource management and innovative strategies for sustainable tourism. With more than 15 years of experience working in the region, we focus on:
- Visitor management: Helping partners establish guidelines to protect and preserve local attractions, conduct carrying capacity studies, and implement sustainability best practices
- Natural resource and cultural asset protection: Protecting coral reefs, local culture, and historical and archeological sites
- Destination Management Organizations (DMOs): Creating a unified organization and protocols for popular tourist destinations that will bring key stakeholders to the table to become stewards for their destination
- Plan and implement sanitation solutions: Developing projects that provide sustainable financing for wastewater treatment infrastructure, support policy reform, and foster regional dialogue
