Firm Waters, Progress 2022

Our Community

Firm Waters, Progress 2022

Together for a Sustainable Future

At Grupo Modelo and the German Cooperation for Sustainable Development – GIZ, we look back to review the achievements reached through our Aguas Firmes project at the close of 2022.

This great project, supported by five pillars that give shape to the objectives set since 2021, is strengthened by farmers, government, the private sector, and the community at large, in the communities where we operate: Apan, Hidalgo, and Calera, Zacatecas.

In the Apan, Hidalgo region, the progress by project pillar is:

In Financial Inclusion, 44 subsidies have been granted for conservation agriculture, covering technical support and machinery, as well as 194 subsidies for crop insurance, equivalent to 1.5 million pesos.
In Conservation Agriculture, 80% of the project's hectare targets have been achieved, that is, 804.73 hectares under sustainable agriculture.
Weather and hydrometric station equipment was acquired and will be installed in January 2023 to obtain more accurate data on pressure, temperature, humidity, and wind and their behavior, so that we can be more resilient and accurate in decision-making. This progress corresponds to the Monitoring and Evaluation pillar.
A Municipal Development Plan is in place and has already been published.
We have completed all the works under our Nature-based Solutions pillar, which will allow us to infiltrate an additional 1.3 Mm3 of water into the aquifer.

The natural infrastructure works carried out include:

Reforestation with 134,209 plants native to the area
12,995 plants forming live fences
29,758 meters of stone barriers
Desilting of 35,672 m3 of water bodies
173 m3 of gabion dams
60,000 plants produced in our nursery
1,213 m3 of stone dams built
7,768 agaves and 607 opuntias were replanted
8,539 wild junipers were pruned.
9,273 + 1,205 m of firebreaks were built
360 kg of seeds collected.
6,131 m of fences repaired
87 workshop sessions were held
17 signs were installed

In the Calera, Zacatecas region, the progress by project pillar is:

In Financial Inclusion, 42 loans have been granted for the modernization of irrigation systems and 117 subsidies for technical support and machinery for the adoption of sustainable agriculture, equivalent to almost 18.5 million pesos.
Drip irrigation has been implemented on 693 ha and conservation agriculture on 1,607 ha, benefiting 159 farmers in total.
We have made progress on the Aquifer Monitoring and Evaluation pillar, with the establishment of a hydrological monitoring network, weather stations, and 2,009 ha of baseline with the participation of 161 farmers. We also have the results of the hydrological modeling, which shows the infiltration results from implementing Nature-based Solutions and sustainable agriculture, exceeding the target of 0.7 Mm3 and reaching 1.5 Mm3.
147 voluntary pacts have been signed, setting out the commitments for the care and preservation of the aquifer. Work is under way on the strategy for the non-expiration Certificates, which make it possible to secure the full concessioned volume by implementing water-saving technologies, and on the Governance mechanisms.
We have completed 100% of the natural infrastructure works, which will allow us to increase infiltration by 1.5 Mm3. The Nature-based Solutions carried out are:
- 76,256 native plants reforested
- 1,010.87 m3 of gabion dams
- 9,599 m2 of gully head control
- 42,952 m of contour bunds
- Sanitation of 10 water bodies
- 154.12 m3 of stone dams
- 315 m of trench pits
- 6,818 m of stone barriers
- 1,252 m of infiltration trenches
- 5 courses and workshops were held

Territorial communication was implemented on digital media, radio, and TV to give the project greater reach.

Our vision for 2023 is to achieve the objectives set since the project's inception, aimed at protecting our water resources and improving people's quality of life.

We celebrate this 2022 with these great achievements and with enthusiasm for the challenges we have yet to meet.