SOLID PILLARS OF A SUSTAINABLE PROJECT - AGUAS FIRMES CONVENTION

Sharing Multiple Visions and a Single Identity

Aguas Firmes was born as a project whose primary objective is the care of our water resources in two important communities: Calera in Zacatecas and Apan in Hidalgo. This great project is supported by five solid pillars, with the participation of the best implementing companies, experts in their fields.

Every member of the project, whether creators or implementers, shares the same passion for seeking and implementing efficient and effective solutions for the care of resources and the improvement of everyone's living conditions.

Every day, from the creation of the project to the present, the implementing partners work on the pillar of their specialty. All of them had the opportunity to share, from their expert perspective, knowledge, progress, and the project's vision for the future at the Aguas Firmes Convention, held at Grupo Modelo's facilities in Mexico City in June of this year.

At this meeting, working sessions were held in which each of the specialists exchanged ideas in their field to enrich the project from multiple angles.

Along the way, more implementers have joined who, with their knowledge, have enriched the path and made it smoother and more meaningful, toward building the foundations of what appears to be the most important inter-institutional cooperation project at the national level for the care and conservation of water.

This meeting succeeded in creating a sense of unity and a focus on a shared destination, making clear the project's objectives, the goals of each of the pillars, and the risks, challenges, and strategic actions to achieve them. In addition, the commitments that each of the implementers adopted to act with a single identity were reaffirmed.

Strengthening the Aguas Firmes pillars

The participation of the implementers strengthens the pillars that support the project, and their contribution is fundamental to achieving the objectives set for 2024. This convention highlighted the importance of the collaborative and interdisciplinary work of each of the pillars.

Nature-based Solutions is the pillar through which infrastructure works are carried out, such as gabion dams, gully head control, contour bunds, reforestation, and other works, which, with the advice of TOROTO and the Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, contribute to aquifer recharge and infiltration.

Sustainable Agricultural Practices such as conservation agriculture and drip irrigation help reduce water consumption, increase productivity, and lower production times and costs; they also have a direct impact on reducing greenhouse gases. In this pillar we have the work and participation of CIMMYT, which puts science at the service of the field.

Financial Inclusion can be a key factor in activating the economy of many families, since it seeks to support farmers in improving and/or implementing modern irrigation systems in their fields, through insurance and easy, accessible loans (Learn about the plans and request your demo at Verqor). The agreement recently signed between Grupo Modelo and FIRA fulfills the objective of "promoting an inclusive, sustainable, and productive agri-food and rural sector."

Collective Governance is a mechanism that helps balance power and interests among government, society, and companies. Through aquifer regulation and voluntary, transparent pacts, this project is advanced with the community, building trust and ensuring long-term success. In this regard, the project has the participation of ENUMA, which specializes in the design, execution, and evaluation of social impact and sustainable development strategies.

What is not measured cannot be improved, which is why Monitoring and Evaluation of the aquifers is essential to have a system for measuring water use, regeneration, and savings. For this we have the participation of Agua Capital and Cardona Benavides y Asociados.

The objective of the Aguas Firmes project is the objective of all its participants, sharing multiple visions and a single identity.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

About TOROTO – A leading company in the environmental sector that works with greenhouse gases, water, and nature-based solutions to address the climate crisis. It seeks to halt environmental degradation by incorporating science and technology into the solutions it implements.

About CIMMYT – The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center is a non-profit research and training organization with more than 50 years of applying science at the service of farmers. The result: healthier and more prosperous people, improved agri-food systems, and climate change mitigation.

About FIRA – Fideicomisos Instituidos en Relación con la Agricultura (Trust Funds for Rural Development) is an institution made up of four public trusts that facilitates access to credit for agricultural, forestry, and fishery producers, through financial intermediaries and specialized companies, so that producers can grow their productive projects.

About VERQOR – An agricultural financing company that facilitates credit for the modernization of irrigation systems, with preferential rates and no cumbersome paperwork.

About Agua Capital – It is part of the Latin American Water Funds Partnership, whose mission is to implement projects and actions that influence public policy with the aim of achieving water security over the next 30 years, increasing groundwater recharge, raising awareness about water use, investing in the improvement of water treatment systems, and establishing a positive dialogue about the long-term value of water.

About Cardona Benavides y Asociados – An organization of multidisciplinary specialists, notable in this project for the hydrological experts who design the plan for monitoring water recharge and use.

About Universidad Autónoma Chapingo – An institution dedicated to scientific and technological development and research in the rural sector, for the use of agricultural, forestry, and other natural resources in order to raise the quality of life of the rural population.

About ENUMA – A consultancy specializing in the design, tracking, and monitoring of impact indicators and the measurement of social return. It encompasses the activities carried out, the results observed, and the expected impacts.

Tags: Commitment to water, Conservation, Water conservation