Xalapa’s greenbelt will help to protect the city from the predicted droughts caused by climate change. Image source: PxHere
CityAdapt, an initiative led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), with funding from the Global Environment Facility, is helping the Mexican city of Xalapa to build a buffer against climate change.
A defensive shield of plant and trees high in the city’s hills is being paired with rainwater harvesting tanks being constructed to assist residents to weather the predicted surge of droughts in the region.
This work is known as ‘climate change adaptation’ and was a focus of discussions at the Latin America and the Caribbean Climate Week — a precursor event to the UN Climate change Conference (also known as COP28), starting at the end of November in the United Arab Emirates.
Xalapa gathers nearly more than a third of its drinking water from the cloud forests above the city — but the forest has been consistently reduced as Xalapa’s urban-sprawl expands with its population.
CityAdapt has been working since 2017 to protect and restore the ecosystems around the city, and create a balance between the forest and Xalapa.
The program found that the city’s greenbelt, including the Estropajo hill and Molinos de San Roque wetland, is vital to water filtration, increasing the supply of groundwater and preventing flooding.
The local government and CityAdapt teams worked to restore the greenbelt including sowing 3,900 trees and more than 2,100 other plants. Many of the trees were provided to local households, along with education on how to care for the plants.
Xalapa’s Secretary of the Environment Juan Carlos Contreras was delighted with the work on the project. “In Xalapa, we are on the front line of the fight against climate change and nature-based solutions play a crucial role in protecting us,” said Conteras.
CityAdapt’s construction of 12 rainwater harvesting systems in schools and public buildings will also provide a guaranteed supply of water to over 20,000 residents.
“Rainwater harvesting systems can be make or break for vulnerable climate-hit communities, and when combined with ecosystem restoration and protection, the results are even stronger,” said Jessica Troni, the Head of UNEP’s Climate Change Adaptation Unit.
CityAdapt is also working with Kingston, Jamaica, and El Salvador to content with the climate crisis, aiming to increase the climate resilience of almost 100,00 people.
“With grey infrastructure the benefits can be more immediate, while green infrastructure is more holistic with added benefits, such as promoting biodiversity and urban amenities,” said Troni. “A combined grey-green approach takes the best of both worlds.”
