Salvemos al Río Laja

Since 2000, multiple socio-environmental projects that contribute to the health of the watershed have been managed and initiated, resources have been generated that have resulted in hectares of reforestation and soil and water conservation, and family and community installed eco-technologies. Comprehensive watershed plans have been developed as well as training and educational programs ranging from holistic management, green infrastructure and eco-technologies, as well as sustainable productive projects and other topics. Important national and international, private and public linkages have been established.

In 2009 the Association joined one of the main environmental programs in Mexico--"Cuencas y Ciudades" of the Mexican Fund for the Conservation of Nature--which operates with resources from the Gonzalo Rio Arronte Foundation. Utilizing 4 basic strategies, the project has achieved a successful model for a learning community integrated by 10 Civil Associations that operate in 10 sites within the national territory, for the management, application, collaboration and innovation in sustainable projects of integrated watershed management.

In the last three years, we have achieved the following results:

• Soil and Water Conservation Works (ConSA) in more than 3,000 hectares with a focus on Ecosystem-based Adaptation (AbE) and at the same time improving the economy of families contributing to the improvement of environmental services in strategic areas with payment of wages in alliance with private initiatives and municipal (Green Fund), state and federal (CONAFOR) financing.
• Integrated Watershed Management "Cuenca Sana Comunidad Sana 2020" in 8 rural communities with 240 families taking part in this strategy of family health that involves individual and family in actions that enable the community, starting with a change of habits for a cultural change achieving a change in reality. In the year 2021, we are adding more communities and families, thus expanding the opportunity to enable true resilience and adaptation in the coming years.
• Along with other Associations for Water Resilience working on the water crisis and overexploitation in the "Rio Laja Aquifer," we carry out actions of management, delivery and monitoring of water quality results as an educational tool and generator of actions and appropriation of eco-technologies enabling alternative means to the use of groundwater wells.
• Environmental education curricula, student exchanges and international alliances are designed and worked on, expanding networks, actions and training. Since 2015, the presence of the "Aves Compartidas-Hermanamiento Willamette-Laja" program has been promoted in 3 rural elementary schools and in an alliance for the activation of the same program in 3 urban schools with the Audobon Civil Association of Mexico.
• We opened and designed spaces for the coordination and management of projects to enable innovation in environmental education, eco-technologies, green infrastructure and Ecosystem-based Adaptation measures, which now promote training and creation of Rain Gardens as an AbE measure in conjunction with other civil associations, watershed management groups and the SMA municipality.
• Participation in 2 technical committees of Natural Protected Areas - ANP Peña Alta in the municipality of San Diego de la Unión and ANP Pinal de Zamorano in the municipality of Tierra Blanca and San José Iturbide, 2 technical-strategic groups and signing of the "Memorandum of Understanding for Adaptation measures in SMA" signed by municipal and state authorities, private sector, as well as Civil Society Organizations that promote mainstreaming and where socio-environmental actions are promoted and supported.

For more information contact salvemosalriolaja@gmail.com

Salvemos al Río Laja, A.C. - Coordination for ConSA-AbE 2020 work in collaboration with Dirección de Medio Ambiente SMA.
 

Salvemos al Río Laja, A.C. - Environmental education in the field - ConSA works and local vegetation and fauna