Tijuana is one of Mexico’s most dynamic industrial and commercial cities. Its geographic location links it with Tecate and Playas de Rosarito, two small cities continously growing, and San Diego, California, to the north. All of them are part of a transnational metropolis with a strong demand for products and services, in an area of more than 12,400 km² for more than 5 million inhabitants.
The Tijuana River is located in this context, a vulnerable binational ecosystem that for years has suffered the neglect of the authorities and the disinterest of society. Its tributary survives despite strong threats, such as water pollution from industrial, commercial and domestic waste, the accumulation of garbage along the riverbed, and the loss of wildlife habitat.
At Pronatura Noroeste, we are working to restore the Tijuana River. We joined the Tijuana Río Conecta project, an initiative promoted by the Coca-Cola Foundation, in alliance with the Coca-Cola bottling company in Tijuana, Del Fuerte bottling company and the Environment and Sustainable Development Department (SMADS).
Likewise, Tijuana Rio Conecta is linked to the Esperanto Project, which aims to transform the Tijuana River´s ecosystem and reconnect citizens with their environment. Esperanto will have an interpretive trail, a bird watching area and a parking area, among other services.
The Esperanto project and the Tijuana Rio Conecta alliance are an example of the collaboration between the state government, businesses and society to recover green spaces in Baja California.
As a preview of this work, from October 21 to 27, we planted 1,500 native trees in 3 hectares of the Tijuana River, a federal property concessioned to Pronatura Noroeste for conservation purposes by the National Water Commission (CONAGUA). In that area, on Tuesday, November 1⁰, the Governor of the State of Baja California, Marina del Pilar Avila Olmeda, took a tour and learned about the progress in the restoration site.
Likewise, at the beginning of this 2022, we undertook a clean-up and solid waste removal in the Tijuana River, as well as educational activities for children and young people. One evidence of the site’s successful restoration are the willows planted in 2014, which today provide shade and shelter to numerous plants and animals.
As Pronatura Noreste, we celebrate the success of the Tijuana Rio Conecta alliance and the Esperanto project. With everyone’s efforts, environmental transformation is possible.
