3.24.2006 ET

(CSRwire)

Xel-Ha is a natural wonder located on the north coast of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, South of Cancun. It consists of a collection of caletas (inlets), lagoons, cenotes (sinkholes) and caverns which spread out over 86 hectares (213 acres) making up 60% percent of the park. It also features low deciduous jungle with more than 100 species of birds and 230 varieties of plants, flowers and trees.

Xel-Ha which means "where the waters are born" in Maya, gets its name from the hydrogeological system. The cove is home to 99 aquatic species and a place where the salty waters of the Caribbean mix with fresh water surging from the underground rivers that are characteristic of the Yucatan Peninsula. The geology of the region consists of limestone and evaporates which is easily dissolved by rainwater. This has produced a complex system of submerged caves and caverns which make the system highly vulnerable to contamination.

The only source of potable water in the entire Yucatan Peninsula is a thin "lens" of fresh water floating on top of salt water. Along the Riviera Maya, five kilometers from the coast this thin "lens has a thickness of 15 meters deepening to 60 meters towards the center of the peninsula.

Figure Right: This figure shows what was thought to be the basin which supplied water to the Riviera Maya. Research suggests that the Riviera Maya really receives its water supply from the smaller basin shown in this figure.

Understanding and protecting these groundwater reserves is indispensable to sustaining life and the survival of the tourist industry on which most people in this region depend for a living. For this reason Xel-Ha has established a strategic alliance with leading Mexican scientists from the Water Network of the Mexican Academy of Sciences and scientists from the Mexican National University, as well as the Centro de Estudios del Agua (Water Study Center) of the Centro de Investigaciones Científicos de Yucatán (Scientific Research Center for Yucatan), and cave divers who worked on a project to monitor water flow and quality and map the dynamics of subterranean rivers to establish their origin and how they are affected by human activities.

"The visionary aspect of this," according to Dr. Luis E. Marin, Chair of the Water Network, "is Xel-Ha's alliance with the academic institutions of Mexico. Xel-Ha is a pioneer in Science-Based Decision making to administer the park, and to promote within the government circles this type of decision making. This is a truly novel approach not only in Mexico but throughout Latin America."

Figure Left: Dr. Marin and Dr. Rebolledo (left to right) carry out their surveys using a GPS Differential system.

After 16 months of multidisciplinary research the first results are beginning to surface, "of course it is easy to talk about it now", says Dr. Marin, "but initially our proposal to Xel-Ha was nothing but a theoretical model with equal chances of success or failure; this made the financial, logistic and moral support they provided even more remarkable." Xel-Ha and Xcaret have so far contributed $28,000 US and made an additional commitment of $95,000 (US) to continue with this research project.

"It is important that this example of a joint vernture between private industry and academia receive government support from the highest levels as well as from the tourism industry. It is the only way that we will be able to provide dependable and timely information to policy makers and private developers. The entire country and the population of this region benefits from the continuing success of tourism in Mexico." ended Dr. Marin. The results obtained this research project will easily be applicable to other parts of the world, including the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, and other regions of the world with extensive karst systems.

In a meeting convoked by the United Nations Development Program, the results of the research were shown, with the theme of the water and its relation with poverty at the 4th World Water Forum, which took place in Mexico City on March 16 to 22, 2006.


From left to right: Dr. Luis Marin Stillman, researcher from Geophysics Institute, UNAM, Joakim Harlin hydraulic specialist from UNDP, Mrs. Ana Lilia Cordova, Xel-Há's sustainable development director and John Soussan, editor of the paper "linking poverty reduction and water management" at 4th World Water Forum Mexico 2006.

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