GEF Clears Mexico's iCOAST Program for Implementation

Mexico is set to launch the iCOAST sustainable tourism initiative, paving the way for new efforts to protect coastal ecosystems, reduce pollution, and strengthen local communities. The project comes as the country intensifies beach conservation efforts while facing mounting environmental challenges, including record levels of sargassum affecting the Mexican Caribbean. 

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) has approved the Integrated Collaborative Approaches for Sustainable Tourism (iCOAST) project in Mexico, an initiative designed to advance actions aimed at protecting coastal ecosystems, strengthening local communities, and promoting a tourism model that generates well-being while preserving the country's natural wealth.

Josefina Rodríguez, Minister of Tourism (SECTUR), emphasized that the approval represents an important step in demonstrating that tourism growth and environmental conservation can go hand in hand. "Through iCOAST, we will work to ensure that our destinations continue to grow in an orderly manner, while safeguarding biodiversity and generating shared prosperity for all Mexicans," she said.

The project will be implemented in coastal destinations across the states of Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora, Sinaloa, Nayarit, and Jalisco. Planned actions include reducing pollution and waste, promoting more sustainable tourism practices, protecting marine and coastal ecosystems, and strengthening the capacities of communities and tourism stakeholders to address current environmental challenges. More than 877,000 people are expected to benefit directly from the project, which will also promote gender equality, social inclusion, and the creation of new development opportunities within participating communities.

Rodríguez acknowledged the joint efforts of Mexico's Ministry of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP), the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), Pronatura Noroeste, and international organizations involved in the design and consolidation of the initiative.

"This approval is the result of teamwork and a shared vision: ensuring that our tourism destinations continue to be a source of well-being for people while also serving as examples of conservation and sustainable development. We are now ready to move into implementation and translate these goals into tangible results for communities and ecosystems," she added.

From Approval to Implementation

The iCOAST initiative was initially approved in December 2024 and subsequently underwent a preparation and technical review process aimed at strengthening its environmental, social, and financial components. With the final approval granted by the GEF in June 2026, the program, led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), will move into its implementation phase to promote a more sustainable tourism model, reduce pollution, protect coastal biodiversity, and generate economic and social benefits for local communities.

Mexico is part of a group of 13 countries selected to implement iCOAST, alongside Belize, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Indonesia, Jamaica, the Maldives, Morocco, Seychelles, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Türkiye, and Vanuatu. The global initiative is led by UNDP and supported by international organizations including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Mexico Advances Coastal Cleanup and Conservation Efforts

In line with actions implemented by the Mexican government to advance coastal conservation, SEMARNAT reported that during the first year of implementation of the National Strategy for the Cleanup and Conservation of Mexico's Beaches and Coasts 2025-2030, a total of 1,363t of waste were collected through cleanup campaigns conducted across different regions of the country.

Of this total, 125t corresponded to organic waste, 263t to recyclable materials, 365t to non-recyclable waste, and 610t to other types of waste. These results represent 26% progress toward the national target, equivalent to 2,903km of coastline restored through collective efforts to protect seas, beaches, and coastal ecosystems. The ultimate goal is to achieve beaches that are 100% free of plastic waste by 2030.

The results were achieved through the participation of 47,517 volunteers and 268 adopting organizations, which have carried out activities on more than 402 beaches across 113 municipalities in Mexico's 17 coastal states. In total, 815 cleanup and conservation campaigns have been conducted.

As part of the strategy, the initiative, Beaches with Value – Exchange Your Waste for a Clean Sea, was carried out in April in collaboration with ECOCE and Tetra Pak in the states of Nayarit, Oaxaca, and Tabasco. The campaign promoted responsible consumption and the recovery of recyclable materials, engaging more than 1,000 participants and collecting over 700kg of waste. The initiative also generated environmental benefits associated with water and energy savings, as well as reductions in pollutant emissions.

Sargassum Emerges as a Growing Challenge for Mexico's Coasts

In addition to solid waste pollution, Mexico's coastlines face other significant challenges. In the Mexican Caribbean, the influx of sargassum has become one of the most pressing issues. The Optical Oceanography Laboratory at the University of South Florida (USF) reported that satellite measurements of sargassum biomass have exceeded all historical records in recent months since systematic monitoring began. This phenomenon of massive landings has shown a sustained increase since 2011.

The volume of floating sargassum in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean reached 40Mt in May 2026, significantly surpassing the record set in 2025. Satellite monitoring indicates that approximately 4% of the ocean surface is currently covered by sargassum mats, a proportion never before recorded in the region.

According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the phenomenon is driven by a combination of environmental factors, including increased nutrient availability in the ocean and favorable oceanographic conditions such as upwelling and intensified currents. The agency notes that sargassum proliferation is associated with climate change and human activities in river basins, which increase the discharge of fertilizers and organic matter into marine environments.

The areas most affected in 2026 include Florida's east coast, Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, and several Caribbean islands, including Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Barbados, and Guadeloupe. In Mexico, the Quintana Roo Sargassum Monitoring Network issued a red alert for 28 of the 100 beaches monitored in May 2025, a trend that has continued this year.

In response, the governments of the United States, Mexico, and Caribbean nations have implemented satellite monitoring, collection, and management programs. In Mexico, the Ministry of the Navy (SEMAR) deploys specialized sargassum collection vessels and cleanup brigades in collaboration with municipalities and private companies. According to the ministry, annual cleanup and collection costs exceed MX$150 million (US$8.5 million), in addition to expenditures related to equipment, transportation, and final disposal.

Experts and authorities are exploring alternatives for using sargassum, including the production of biofuels, fertilizers, construction materials, and industrial products. However, NOAA and USF warn that processing must be carried out under strict controls to avoid risks associated with heavy metals and other contaminants present in the macroalgae.