Rio Tijuana: Efforts to recover the ecological and social value of a historically important channel

With the support of the Gonzalo Río Arronte Foundation, we made headway in developing the Program for the Comprehensive Water Management in the Tijuana River Basin by using a binational adaptive management platform that aims at improving the environmental quality of the basin. The interesting and, at the same time, complex aspect of this project is that it is designed to be carried out with effective and inclusive social participation, by building consensus around a common vision and based on an ecologically-balanced water management. 

The methodology of this program is based on the experience generated by the Gonzalo Río Arronte Foundation: starting from an assessment of the social-environmental problems of the region, the team identified the causes and effects of the problems that require priority attention within the basin.Subsequently, with the participation of diverse sectors of government,
water users, civil society organizations, academia, and citizens, the team defined strategies, objectives, challenges, and general actions to address each of the priority problems, ultimately leading to a specific set of actions aimed at solving the needs of the basin with measurable, lasting, and sustainable benefits.

The process, coordinated by Pronatura Noroeste, el Colegio de la Frontera Norte, Proyecto Fronterizo de Educación Ambiental, and Agua y Bienestar Social, began in February of 2017. The final document is intended to facilitate decision-making for the comprehensive management of the Tijuana River basin, in addition to providing guidelines for follow-up and updates.

Learn more about this initiative at: www.cuencariotijuana.org