Last updated: October 2021
Mexico City's (CDMX) Water Fund was established in 2015 by The Nature Conservancy Mexico on behalf of the Latin American Water Funds Partnership aiming to reduce the imbalance of the aquifers providing significant water supply for the territory of the CDMX and promoting positive long-term water balance (1). "The Water Fund emphasises good science in relation to the selection of sites and interventions, and in comprehensive monitoring. It seeks to make the business case demonstrating that these activities show returns with respect to water security" (1 p22). The first pilot project of the CDMX Water Fund engages small-scale producers in sustainable agriculture practices, works to restore and conserve water-absorbing land and reconvert land to water-friendly agriculture practices (1)
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Parks and urban forests
- Large urban parks or forests
- Green areas for water management
- Sustainable urban drainage systems
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
- Improvements to water quality
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Habitat and biodiversity restoration
- Habitat and biodiversity conservation
- Green space creation and/or management
- Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
- Economic development: agriculture
- Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)
- Sustainable production
Focus
Ecological restoration of ecosystems, Protection of natural ecosystems, Monitoring and maintenance of habitats and/or biodiversity
Project objectives
-"Develop a strategy and financing mechanism that attracts funding in an organised and transparent manner from large water users to protect ecosystem features with the aim of strengthening the water security of urban areas" (1 P6).
- Building of water security and creating a sensitive urban environment for water in Mexico City
Objectives of the first pilot project of the Water Fund Mexico:
- Engagement with small-scale producers to improve and sustain their land-based livelihoods with the use of sustainable agriculture practices (1)
- Restoration and conservation of the biodiversity in the project area (1)
- Improvement of the infiltration and recharge of the underground aquifers (1)
Implementation activities
First pilot project:
- Active conservation practices including the restoration of degraded land
- Passive conservation of areas that are in a good state
- Development and implementation of sustainable agricultural activities that are compatible with water infiltration
- Mapping the state of the environment, planning, implementation, scaling, monitoring and improvement of conservation and rehabilitation practices (1)
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Implement sustainable urban drainage infrastructure (e.g. to make space for water)
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity conservation:
- Protect and enhance urban habitats
- Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems
- Promote environmentally-sound development in and around protected areas
- Reduce negative impacts and avoid the alteration/damage of ecosystem
- Means for conservation governance
- Capacity building
Biodiversity restoration:
- Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems
Main beneficiaries
- Local government/Municipality
- Non-government organisation/Civil Society
- Private sector/Corporate/Company
- Researchers/University
- Citizens or community groups
- Food producers and cultivators (i.e. farmers, gardeners)
Governance
Management set-up
- Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Non-government organisation/civil society
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Other
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The CDMX Water Fund began in 2015 initiated by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) Mexico on behalf of the Latin American Water Funds Partnership and in partnership with other organisations including the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), businesses and the CDMX government" (1 p22). The now lead by the For the Water of Mexico City (Por el Auga de la Ciudad de México). The initiative's aim is to partner with actors from private-public and non-governmental sectors who are key players in the water use and supply of Mexico City such as Coca Cola. Nevertheless, the CDMX government plays a significant role as a decision-maker, founder and implementer (1). The Nature Conservancy has a central role as the model of the Water Fund derives from. "The Water Fund plays an important intermediary role where it is both a trusted, transparent and well-defined entity and one that is almost infinitely flexible and creates a space for rethinking basic assumptions about water." (1 p24)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
No
... a national policy or strategy?
No
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Public local authority budget
- Funds provided by non-governmental organization (NGO)
- National or regional development bank
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Strengthened capacity to address climate hazards/natural disasters
- Water management and blue areas
- Improved water quality
- Improved stormwater management
- Reduced risk of damages by drought
- Enhanced protection and restoration of freshwater ecosystems
- Green space and habitat
- Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
- Increase in protected green space areas
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Unknown
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
References
"1) Astbury, J. (2018). NATURVATION - Case Study Working Paper: Mexcio City, Mexico
2) The Nature Conservancy. (n.a.). Innovation to Meet the Water Shortage: Mexico City's Water Fund. The Nature Conservancy. Accessed on 29th March 2021, Source link
3) Latin American Water Finds Partnership. (n.a.) What is partnership? Accessed on 29th March 2021, Source link
2) The Nature Conservancy. (n.a.). Innovation to Meet the Water Shortage: Mexico City's Water Fund. The Nature Conservancy. Accessed on 29th March 2021, Source link
3) Latin American Water Finds Partnership. (n.a.) What is partnership? Accessed on 29th March 2021, Source link