Riviera Cancun

About this Report

Publication of this report indicates that Riviera Cancun has been assessed against the GEO Certification Criteria and awarded GEO Certified™ status.

Each section of this document covers a key area of environmentally sound golf facility management. As defined by the Golf Environment Organization, these are: Nature, Landscape & Heritage, Water, Turf, Waste, Energy, Education & Awareness and Management Planning.

To maintain this award Riviera Cancun will be re-certified by a GEOSA Accredited Verifier before February 26th 2013.

Facility Details

Riviera Cancun is a golf facility comprising:

Courses

• Riviera Cancun (18 holes)

Clubhouses

• Riviera Cancun

Maintenance Facilities

• GCM Riviera Cancun

Other

• Pro Shop
• Practice Facilities
• On Course Toilet Facilities

Nature

The Riviera Cancún Golf course is located in the area denominated as Cancun’s Third Stage. The surrounding vegetation to the Golf course is coastal scrub with mixed mangrove in its majority, in which the specific dominance corresponds to red mangle and botoncillo mangle. The course is located in an property consisting of 377 hectares, of which the golf course and club house account for 78.8 hectares.
The ample zones of mangrove that surround the property are natural habitat for a great variety of birds, even migratory, which use the course for their feeding and reproduction activities. The mangroves also provide a habitat for the swamp crocodile and other various amphibians. The hydrologic flow of the property is controlled through water passages below the roads which connect the different areas to maintain the natural water level.

El Campo de Golf Riviera Cancún, se encuentra ubicado en la denominada Tercera Etapa de Cancún, Quintana Roo; México. La vegetación circundante al Campo de Golf es matorral costero y en su mayoría manglar mixto, en el cual la dominancia específica corresponde a mangle rojo y mangle botoncillo. El campo se encuentra inserto en un predio de 377 hectáreas.
Las amplias zonas de humedales que rodean ésta propiedad son hábitat natural para una gran variedad de aves, incluso migratorias, que utilizan el campo para sus actividades de alimentación y reproducción. De igual manera, los humedales representan un hábitat para cocodrilo de pantano y anfibios; el flujo hidrológico de ésta área se mantiene por medio de comunicaciones, como pasos de agua, que cruzan incluso por debajo de las vialidades.

Designations

Riviera Cancun features areas that are designated or protected at the following levels:

• National Government

Surveys

The following ecological surveys have been undertaken:

Title	Author	Date
Botanical	Palace Resorts	2010-04-16
Birds	Palace Resorts	2010-04-16
Mammals	Palace Resorts	2010-04-16

Habitats

Estimated area of habitats at Riviera Cancun:

• Wetlands: 243.8 ha; of National Importance
• Open water features: 30 ha; of Local Importance

Riviera Cancun has undertaken the following activities to improve the landscape ecology of the site:

• Increase the size of habitat patches
• Connect internal habitat patches
• Connect patches with external habitats
• Create new habitat corridors
• Introduce a policy to avoid habitat fragmentation
• Improve and diversify habitat edges

Species

Rare, protected and notable species occurring at Riviera Cancun [Latin names]:

• Crocodylus moreletti
• Rana berlandieri
• Trachemys scripta
• Rinoclemmys areolata
• Sphaerodactylus glaucus
• Ctenosaura similis
• Tachybaptus dominicus
• Tigrisoma mexicanum
• Cairina moschata
• Aratinga nana
• Vireo pallens

Consultation

Riviera Cancun consults with the following nature conservation organisations:

Activities

Riviera Cancun has undertaken the following activities to enhance nature protection:

Activity	Description
Use of Organic products	The course's maintenance and IPM programs are based on the use of organic products to reduce the environmental impact caused on the subsoil
Constant Fauna monitoring	Palace Resort's internal environmental supervision completes biannual fauna monitoring reports to assess the local biodiversity's conditions and effect caused by the golf course
Sea turtle protection	Palace Resorts Foundation performs sea turtle protection activities to involve the local community with the native fauna and ensure safe nesting grounds for the turtles to guarantee their survival and reproduction.
Maintenance program for the hydrological passes under the golf course	The course's construction permit was granted thanks to the implementation of hydrological passes strategically placed under the golf course to maintain the mangrove's natural flow and ecosystem in its natural state.

Aims & Objectives

Riviera Cancun has the following key objectives for maximizing its ecological value:

• Maintain the ecosystem's natural conditions

Landscape & Heritage

The Riviera Cancún golf course borders the Caribbean Sea and the mesoamericano reef, which can be seen from hole no. 15; the course is inserted in an area of enormous landscape importance because it represents the beginning of the mangrove community which runs along the coastline behind the coastal scrub. It is a zone where the red mangrove, due to the characteristics of the area, reaches small heights, therefore denominated as “short” scrub.
The Riviera Cancún golf course can be seen by the visitors to the tourist center of Cancún, because it is 10 minutes of the international airport. From the aerial view, one can appreciate the careful balance that the course keeps between playing surfaces and wetland areas which surround it.

El campo de Golf Riviera Cancún, colinda con la zona del mar caribe y el arrecife mesoamericano, los cuales pueden ser apreciados plenamente desde el hoyo No. 15; el campo se encuentra inserto en un área de enorme importancia de paisaje pues representa el inicio de la comunidad de mangle que se distribuye a manera de franja por detrás del matorral costero. Es una zona donde el mangle rojo, debido a las características propias del área adquiere unas tallas pequeñas, denominándose matorral chaparro.
El campo de golf Riviera Cancún se aprecia claramente para los visitantes al centro turístico de Cancún, pues se encuentra a 10 minutos del aeropuerto internacional de ésta ciudad, con ésta vista aérea es posible apreciar el equilibrio que guarda el campo con sus áreas de juego y las amplias zonas de humedales que lo rodean.

Designations

Riviera Cancun does not feature any landscape designations.

Riviera Cancun does not feature any cultural heritage designations or protected features.

Surveys

No landscape assessments or appraisals have been carried out at this site.

No archaeological or heritage surveys have been carried out at this site.

Consultation

Riviera Cancun consults with the following organisations on landscape and cultural heritage issues:

• Eco Red

Activities

Riviera Cancun undertakes the following activities to enhance landscape and cultural heritage:

Activity	Description
Control of invasive species	A stringent invasive vegetation control program is performed to limit the invasion of exotic vegetation on the golf course and maintain the natural landscape heritage

Aims & Objectives

Riviera Cancun has the following key objectives for conserving or enhancing its landscape and cultural heritage value:

• Enhance the natural jungle's conditions

Water

Most of the water is destined to the irrigation of the 18 holes of the Golf course. The water is extracted from 10 underground of salted wells (above of 3000 ppm). The water consumed in the Club House and maintenance facilities comes from municipal sources.

La mayor cantidad de agua se destina al riego de los 18 hoyos del Campo de Golf, esta agua es extraida de 10 pozos salados (arriba de 3000 ppm). El agua que se consume en las instalaciones de Casa Club y mantenimiento provienen de fuentes municipales.

Consumption

Water sources

	Primary Source	Secondary Source (if used)
Clubhouse	Public / Potable	N/A
Golf Courses	Groundwater	N/A
Accommodation	N/A	N/A
Maintenance facility	Public / Potable	N/A
Other	N/A	N/A

Water consumption (m3)

	2009
Clubhouse	3000
Golf Courses	460926
Accommodation	N/A
Maintenance facility	1000
Other	N/A

Irrigation

The following areas are irrigated:

Area name	Approx. Hectarage
Greens	0.932 ha
Tees	1.337 ha
Fairways	26.802 ha

Riviera Cancun irrigation system is Fully computer controlled.

This irrigation system is serviced every 3 months.

This irrigation system is upgraded every 5 years.

This irrigation system is calibrated every 1 years.

Riviera Cancun do not incorporate evapotranspiration rates and weather data into their irrigation programme.

Riviera Cancun does not monitor soil water content.

Analysis

Riviera Cancun undertakes environmental monitoring of water quality.

	Chemical	Biological	Last Test Date	Tester
Inflow	Yes	No	2010-02-01	IDECA S.A. de C.V.
On-site	No	No
Outflow	No	Yes	2010-02-01	IDECA S.A. de C.V.

The key findings of these tests were:

The water quality studies performed show that the water quality has maintained the required quality for the course's irrigation as well as the established requirements by the local legislation for direct discharge in underground wells.

Activities

Riviera Cancun has undertaken the following activities to conserve / reduce / minimise water consumption:

• Minimise irrigated area
• Irrigate in the evenings
• De-compact the soil
• Grass species selection
• Regular inspections for irrigation system leaks

Riviera Cancun undertakes the following activities to protect and enhance water quality:

• Maintain vegetative buffers
• Creation of swales and attenuation areas
• No spray zones
• Erosion control
• Pest and disease tolerant grass selection
• Informed selection of fertiliser type
• Informed selection of pesticides (least toxic, least persistent)
• Naturalisation of pond margins to improve oxygenation

Aims & Objectives

Riviera Cancun has the following key objectives for conserving water quality and minimizing water consumption:

• Maintain salt water content within 2600-2900 ppm
• Ensure maximum efficiency in irrigation

Turf

The turf used in the 18 holes of the Riviera Cancun is Seashore Paspalum vaginatum, tolerant to salt water. Pruning, topdressing, and airing activities are performed to maintain the turf in optimal conditions.

El pasto utilizado en los 18hoyos del campo de Riviera Cancun es Seashore Paspalum vaginatum , tolerante a aguas salobres. Se le realizan actividades de poda, aireficación y topdressing para mantenerlo en condiciones optimas.

Riviera Cancun maintains the following turfgrass species:

Greens

• Seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum)

Surrounds & Approaches

• Seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum)

Tees

• Seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum)

Fairways

• Seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum)

Semi-rough

• Seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum)

Riviera Cancun regularly undertakes the following practices to improve turf health:

• Hollow Coring - 2 times per year
• Top Dressing - 12 times per year
• Deep Anti Compaction - 1 times per year
• Rolling - 6 times per year

Nutrition

Annual foliar and granular applications are performed to provide 2 Lb/N in greens, 4 Lb/N in Tees, and 2.5 Lb/N in Fairways and Roughs. The N: P: K Balance is 2:1: 4 in average, and it is complemented with contributions of smaller and macro secondary elements as needed.

Se realizan aplicaciones foliares y granulares para aportación de 2 Lb/N anual en greens.
Se realizan aplicaciones foliares y granulares en Tees para aportación de 4 Lb/N anual.
Se realizan aplicaciones granulares en Fairways y Rough para aportación de 2.5 Lb/N anual.
El balance N:P:K es de 2:1:4 en promedio y se complementan las aportaciones con elementos menores y macros secundarios.

The greenkeeping staff feed the following areas of the golf course:

• Greens
• Tees
• Fairways
• Rough

The nutrition programme at Riviera Cancun is informed by:

• Leaf Tissue Analysis
• Soil Analysis
• Visual Appearance
• Sward Density

Fertiliser use in 2009

	Nitrogen (kg/year)	Phosphate (kg/year)	Potassium (kg/year)
Greens & surround	3184.29	2984.81	3825.78
Tees	0	0	0
Fairways	0	0	0
Semi Rough	0	0	0
Rough	0	0	0

Riviera Cancun has no further fertiliser data.

Pest & Disease Control

The golf course incorporates an Integrated Pest Management program which specifies the use of products with low toxicology levels.

El campo de golf implementa un programa de manejo integrado de plagas (MIP) el cual especifica el uso de productos con bajo perfil toxicológico.

Pesticide use:

• Fungicides - If Necessary
• Herbicides - If Necessary
• Insecticides - If Necessary
• Lumbricides - If Necessary
• Growth Regulator - If Necessary

Riviera Cancun keeps detailed records of pesticide application.

Pesticide use in 2009

	Fungicide		Herbicide		Insecticide
	Active ingredient	kg	Active ingredient	kg	Active ingredient	kg
Greens & Surrounds	Clorotalonil	26.1			Clorpirifos E	201.68
	Tiofanato M	14.2			Lamnda Cyhal	44.82
					Imidacloprid	20.62
Tees
Fairways
Rough			Dicamba/2,4d, Amina	24
			Glifosato	240

Riviera Cancun has no further pesticide data.

Thresholds for using pesticides at Riviera Cancun:

On evidence of actual damage

Riviera Cancun selects pesticides with the following attributes:

• Toxicity - Low
• Persistence - Medium
• Solubility - High
• Specificty - High

Scouting at Riviera Cancun:

	Frequency / month	Scout
Greens	30	Superintendent
Tees	30	Superintendent
Fairways	30	Superintendent
Semi Rough	30	Superintendent

Activites

Riviera Cancun undertakes the following activities to minimise / reduce pesticide use:

Activity	Description
Use of biological products	Organic products with pesticide applications are used to reduce the use of chemical pesticides

Aims & Objectives

Riviera Cancun has the following key objectives for achieving high quality playing surfaces in an environmentally responsible manner:

• Efficiency, planning and proper execution of the IPM program

Waste

The Riviera Cancun golf course is subject to a waste handling program for the following wastes: hazardous, recyclable and nonrecyclable. The hazardous residues, are the empty chemical substance containers such as the agro-chemical or solvents which are used in the course.
These residues are temporarily maintained in a suitable warehouse and taken off the property by a certified company who performs the final disposal of the wastes. The nonrecyclable wastes are taken off the property by the municipal service and sent to the local landfill. The recyclable residues such as pet bottles, aluminum, glass, tins, and scrap iron are separated and placed in specific warehouses and are taken off the property by specialized buyers who carry out the recycling.


El campo de Golf Riviera Cancún, se encuentra sujeto a un programa de manejo de residuos de los siguientes rubros : peligrosos, reciclables y no reciclables.

Los residuos peligrosos, son aquellos contenedores vacíos de algunas sustancias químicas, por ejemplo los insumos agroquímicos o solventes que se utilizan en el área. Éstos residuos son resguardados temporalmente en un almacén adecuado y retirados de la propiedad por una empresa certificada para tal efecto, quién realiza el confinamiento final de los residuos.
Los residuos no reciclables, son retirados de la propiedad por el servicio municipal y enviados al relleno sanitario.
Los residuos reciclables como botellas de pet, vidrio, latas de aluminio, chatarra, son separados desde cada una de las áreas de generación y colocados en almacenes específicos, posteriormente éstos residuos son retirados por compradores especializados para efectuar el reciclaje.

Management

Waste streams for Riviera Cancun

	Avoid	Re-use	Recycle	Landfill	Incineration	Registered Uplift	2009 Totals (kg)
Glass	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	0
Plastic	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	0
Aluminium	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	0
Metal	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	0
Paper	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	0
Cardboard	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	0
Electrical	No	No	No	No	No	No	0
Grass Clippings	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	0
Cores	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	0
Turf	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	0
Sand	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	0
Wood / Timber	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	0
Leaves	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	0
Detergents	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	0
Cooking Oils	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	0
Lubricants	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	0
Pesticide Containers	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	0
Fertiliser Bags	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	0
Oil Filters	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	0
Batteries	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	0

Riviera Cancun has secure storage for hazardous material.

The Hazardous Material storage complies with the Federal Integral Waste Management Law which requires the labeling and separation according to compatibility.

El almacenamiento de residuos peligrosos es un área que cumple los estandares previstos en el Reglamento de la Ley General para la Gestión Integral de los Residuos, que incluye la señalización y separacionconforme a compatibilidad.

Surveys

Riviera Cancun has undertaken a waste audit:

2010-02-01 - Palace Resorts' Integral Security Personnel

Waste Water

Riviera Cancun manages its water as follows:

	Discharges to:	Legally Compliant?	Formal Discharge Agreement
Clubhouse	Stormwater Drain	Yes	Waste Water Clubhouse Formal Discharge Arrangement
Accommodation		No	N/A
Maintenance Facility	Stormwater Drain	Yes	N/A
Wash Pad	Stormwater Drain	Yes	Waste Water Wash Pad Formal Discharge Arrangement

Activities

Riviera Cancun undertakes the following activities to reduce resource consumption or minimise waste:

Personnel training program

• The Palace Resort's education and training program grants the employees the skills and knowledge on how to reduce their waste production and perform the appropriate waste separation activities to facilitate recycling

Aims & Objectives

Riviera Cancun has the following key objectives for reducing, re-using and recycling waste, and minimizing resource consumption at source:

• Perform waste separation to facility recycling and evaluate waste production

Energy

The energy management practices require that the electrical power and water consumption be verified monthly to resolve any deviations or bad practices that could have been identified. This data is obtained by the maintenance director and presented to the corresponding corporate manager.

Based on this monitoring, specific and necessary actions are performed to reduce the power consumption.


Las prácticas de manejo de energía están ligadas a verificar de manera mensual los consumos de energía eléctrica y agua para evitar desviaciones o malas prácticas que se pudieran haber generado. Esta información es obtenida por el gerente de mantenimiento y sometida a evaluación por parte del corporativo correspondiente.

Con base a lo anterior se implementan acciones especificas necesarias para reducir el consumo de energía.

Consumption

Energy and fuel use in 2009

• Electricity - 917273 Kwh
• Diesel - 8114 Litres
• Petrol - 17437 Litres
• Hydralic Oil - 255 Litres

Riviera Cancun has taken the following measures to diversify energy and fuel supply:

• Use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)

Surveys

Riviera Cancun has not undertaken an Energy Audit.

Carbon

Riviera Cancun has not begun to carbon footprint its operations.

Purchasing Policy and Sustainable Supply Chains

Riviera Cancun informs suppliers of its environmental preferences:

Suppliers must comply with Palace Resort's established security and environmental requirements for various products

Purchasing policy for Riviera Cancun

(1 = not important; 5 = very important)

• Performance Quality - 5
• Price - 5
• Supplier Service - 5
• Durability - 5
• Energy Efficiency - 4
• Recycleability - 5
• Pollution Risk - 5
• Packaging - 5
• Disposability - 5
• Local Produce - 4

Activities

Activities undertaken to record energy consumption:

• Consumption monitoring for various concepts

Activities undertaken to reduce energy consumption:

• Use of energy-efficient lighting
• Solar powered lighting for roads
• AC regulated by temperature sensors
• Nigthly inspection to shut off all lights at the end of every day
• Computerized irrigation system
• Preventive maintenance perforemd on all electrical equipment

Riviera Cancun has not undertaken any green purchasing activities.

Departments involved in energy saving activities:

• Operation Management personnel
• Club House maintenance personnel
• Golf course maintenance personnel
• Overall golf course personnel

Aims & Objectives

Riviera Cancun has the following key objectives for reducing energy use and moving towards cleaner and renewable energy supplies:

• Reduce energy consumption in club house and golf course

Education & Awareness

Knowledge

Employees of Riviera Cancun receive the following formal and informal environmental education:

• Pesticide storage, application and disposal
• Efficient water management
• Emergencies / accident management
• Waste minimisation, separation and recycling
• Health and safety
• Environmental management planning

Riviera Cancun keeps formal staff training records for these departments:

• Greenkeeping
• Administrative
• Catering

Riviera Cancun keeps the following record of accidents in the workplace:

• Number
• Type
• Severity

Response plans for accidents and emergency situations at Riviera Cancun

Based on the extensive training provided by Palace Resorts, all employees are instructed of the security measures that must be used according to each activity. This includes responses to fire, chemical spills, physical accidents and natural disasters.

Communications

Riviera Cancun undertakes the following internal environmental communications:

• Newsletters
• Displaying awards
• Notice boards
• Poster displays
• On-site interpretation panels
• Course signage

The most successful internal communications project at Riviera Cancun has been:

Everyone receives the information relevant to the environmental policy performed by the company during their orientation training and then again in their respective areas they are given environmental awareness conferences to inform them specific protocols on the handling and disposal of solid waste, solid urban waste, chemical substances, as well as flora and fauna protection. Training is provided constantly through the Education and Environmental Training Program.

Riviera Cancun undertakes the following external environmental communications:

• Press releases

The most successful external communications project at Riviera Cancun has been:

The sea turtle nesting grounds protection program is performed with the local community and Palace Resort's employees every year to educate the community about the local fauna and help preserve the sea turtles

Partnerships

Riviera Cancun works with the following external groups:

• Schools
• Authorities
• Colleges

The most successful partnership project at Riviera Cancun has been:

Guided visits and conferences are offered to university students to present the Environmental Management which is necessary for the golf course’s construction and operation. During the visits the importance of complying with the environmental requirements as well as integrating the environment to the project’s operation. The students are also offered the opportunity to perform their internships in the different administrative and operative departments of the golf course.

Aims & Objectives

Riviera Cancun has the following key objectives for educating and raising environmental awareness amongst staff and golfers:

• Promote a culture of environmental respect and conservation
• Comply with environmental legislation

Management Planning

Environmental Policy (PDF)

Politica ambiental 2010.pdf

Environmental Management Plan

Riviera Cancun has an Environmental Management Plan covering:

• Nature
• Landscape & Culture
• Water
• Turf
• Waste
• Energy
• Education & Awareness

The Management plan was first introduced: 2010-04-16

Riviera Cancun review the management plan every:

• 12 Months
• 1 Years

Riviera Cancun monitor the progress of the scheme as follows:

The progress of the management plan is monitored through the environmental indicators on the course, and through tests and reviews performed on the personnel regarding the information from the management plan

Working Group

Riviera Cancun has an environmental working group, comprising the following individuals/organisations:

• Course Manager
• Technical Specialist

Accreditation

Riviera Cancun does not belong to any other accreditation or award schemes.

Key national environmental legislation with which Riviera Cancun complies:

• SECRETARIA DE MEDIO AMBIENTE Y RECURSOS NATURALES ; LEY GENERAL DE VIDA SILVESTRE; NORMA OFICIAL MEXICANA NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2001 Establishes the protected species

• COMISION NACIONAL DEL AGUA; LEY DE AGUAS NACIONALES; LEY FEDERAL DE DERECHOS; NORMA OFICIAL MEXICANA NOM-001-SEMARNAT-1996, Establishes the maximum limits for discharge of residual water into national water bodies

• SEMARNAT ; LEY GENERAL PARA LA GESTIÓN INTEGRAL DE LOS RESIDUOS Establishes required waste management practices
  SEMARNAT ; LEY GENERAL PARA LA GESTIÓN INTEGRAL DE LOS RESIDUOS; NORMA OFICIAL MEXICANA NOM-052-SEMARNAT-2005; Establishes the hazardous materials listing

• NOM-054-SEMARNAT-2003, Establishes the hazardous material's compatibility

• SEMARNAT; NORMA OFICIAL MEXICANA, NOM-085- Regulates the atmospheric contamination created by fixed sources

Aims & Objectives

Riviera Cancun has the following key objectives for effectively planning its proactive and long-term environmental management:

• Systematic management

Verifier

• Russ Bodie