Last updated: September 2024
Fondo Unido Chihuahua, in collaboration with its corporate partners, is committed to raising awareness about environmental care and reforestation. One of its flagship initiatives is the annual tree-planting campaign, "Planting Today to Have Oxygen Tomorrow," organized by United Way Chihuahua in Ciudad Juárez. This environmental initiative focuses on improving the quality of different urban green spaces (parks, school grounds, streets) while fostering ecological awareness in vulnerable communities across the city. The primary objective is to plant a significant number of trees throughout Ciudad Juárez, using native species that are water-efficient and well-adapted to the local climate and soil. In 2022 the initiative aimed to reforest 18 parks located mainly in the south-eastern part of this border city with 1,000 trees. In 2023 and 2024 the intervention focused on planting 850 trees scatted all over the city. The campaign brings together donations and volunteers through partnerships with various stakeholders, including local and regional governments, private companies, community organizations, and the general public. United Way Chihuahua oversees the planning, coordination, and logistical efforts for the campaign. On planting days, volunteers gather at designated sites, guided by the organization to ensure successful planting efforts and community engagement (Ref 1-4).
Volunteers making space for a tree
Retrieved from the website of the initiative: https://uwchihuahua.org/plantemos-hoy-para-tener-oxigeno-manana
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Grey infrastructure featuring greens
- Alley or street trees and other street vegetation
- Green playgrounds and school grounds
- Parks and urban forests
- Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Environmental quality
- Air quality improvement
- Soil quality improvement
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Social justice and equity
- Environmental education
- Sense of community and community engagement
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Climate-Related Hazards
- Heat stress & Extreme temperatures
- Environmental Degradation
- Deforestation and forest degradation
- Soil degradation and loss
- Air pollution
- Desertification
- Land use and Socio-economic change
- Unequal availability and access to public green spaces
Key priorities
Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation), Social Justice and community
Focus
Maintenance and management of urban nature, Maintenance or upgrade of exisiting green spaces (e.g. parks), n.a., Ecological restoration of ecosystems, Soil remediation and revegetation, Knowledge creation and awareness raising, Educational and awareness raising programs
Project objectives
1. To improve public spaces (parks, streets, school grounds ) in disadvantaged or vulnerable communities in Juarez by cleaning them up, enhancing their ecological functions, and increasing tree cover with native plants. This includes the reforestation of public spaces to boost ecosystem services such as improving air quality, mitigating high temperatures that cause severe land degradation, enhancing perceptions of safety in public spaces, pruning, and enriching the soil.
2. To use endemic trees suitable for the extreme climate of the border region, improving the urban environment and creating decent, safe spaces for healthy recreation.
3. To raise awareness and foster public engagement: The campaign involves the public and includes educational components, where participants and the broader community learn about the importance of trees in urban ecosystems (Ref 1; 2; 3).
Implementation activities
The campaign is usually split into two parts which take several days to complete:
1) In the first semester of the year, activities are organised that consist of reforesting public spaces, including school yards.
2) In the second semester, activities are designed to improve public parks: cleaning and painting (Ref 1; 2).
-Between October 2021 and September 2022, Juarez Limpio provided technical support and guidance to Fondo Unido. Staff members were trained on interventions in public spaces and the benefits that urban trees provide for the improvement of the urban and social environment. In return, Fondo Unido donated 89 shovels and 140 picks to Juárez Limpio so that it can continue to carry out daily community activities (Ref 6).
-In 2022 the initiative reforested 18 parks located mainly in the south-eastern part of this border city with 1,000 trees. In 2023 and 2024 the intervention focused on planting 850 trees scatted all over the city. (1,2,3)
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Implement measures that prevent/manage desertification, soil erosion and landslides
- Increase urban vegetation cover to reduce urban heat island effect
Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts
Yes
Specification of climate or environmentally vulnerable communities
Low-income neighborhoods, Urban heat islands, Communities near industrial areas, Informal settlements or slums, Communities located in floodplains
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
- Young people and children
- Marginalized groups: Children, young people or youth groups , Socio-economically disadvantaged populations (e.g. low-income households, unemployed), Homeless people & people living in informal settlements
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Non-government organisation/civil society
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Crowd-sourcing/Crowd-funding/Participatory budget
- Dissemination of information and education
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
Fondo Unido Chihuahua has been leading the initiative (organisation and administration). It belongs to United Way Worldwide (UWW), an international philantopic network. For this campaign, it collects funds and integrates volunteer to intervene in the rescue of public spaces. It mainly forms partnerships with large companies (the "maquiladoras") who contribute through donations and employee involvement. The regional Secretariat of Urban Development and Ecology provided support during the 13th edition of the tree planting campaign (in 2022) (Ref 2). In the 2022 and 2024, Fondo Unido partnered with the NGO 'Juárez Limpio'. Juarez Limpio carries out actions to guarantee the continuity of the intervention by visiting the sites and encouraging the appropriation of the space by neighbours (Ref 6). Ordinary citizens and local communities also participate during implementation activities (Ref 1). The regional Secretariat of Urban Development and Ecology (SEDUE) provided financial support. (2)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Type of enablers
Funds, subsidies or investment for GI/NBS in the city (available for the city or provided by the city)
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Public regional budget
- Funds provided by non-governmental organization (NGO)
- Crowdfunding
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
- Donations
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of labour
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
- Private sector (businesses, financial institution)
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Water management and blue areas
- Reduced risk of damages by drought
- Achieved reduced risk of damages by drought
- Green space and habitat
- Increased number of species present
- Achieved increased number of species present
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Expected increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Cultural heritage and sense of place
- Increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging
- Expected increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging
- Education
- Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
- Expected increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
- Safety
- Increased perception of safety
- Expected increased perception of safety
Type of reported impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
Yes
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs
Unknown
References
1.
Ahumada, D. (2024). Inicia Fondo Unido campaña ‘Plantemos Hoy' 2024. Ciudad Juarez: netnoticias.mx, Accessed on August 26, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Redacción Agencia Red Norte (2022). Inician Estado y Asociación Fondo Unido Chihuahua programa de reforestación y rescate de espacios públicos en Juárez. Redacción Agencia Red Norte, Accessed on August 26, 2024, [Source link];
3.
González, R, (2023). Se unen para reforestar Juárez. Ciudad Juarez: netnoticias.mx, Accessed on August 26, 2024, [Source link];
4.
Salcedo, J. (2019). Plantemos hoy… para tener oxígeno mañana. United Way - Fondo Unido Chihuahu, Accessed on August 26, 2024, [Source link];
5.
Associacion Plan Estrategico de Juarez (2024). Asi Estamos 2024. Ciudad Juarez: Associacion Plan Estrategico de Juarez, Accessed on August 26, 2024, [Source link];
6.
Juarez Limpio (2023). Informe anual de actividades 2022. Ciudad Juarez: Juarez Limpio, Accessed on September 10, 2024, [Source link];
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.