How is climate change affecting Despeñaderos?
In Despeñaderos, the natural environment holds significant importance for the community. As a small city, we are fully aware of the need to preserve our surroundings. We are not immune to the effects of climate change, which impacts each community not only environmentally but also economically. Prolonged droughts, extreme temperatures—whether heat or cold—and other signs of global climate change constantly affect the agricultural activities of our community and directly impact the local tourism outlook by altering the level and availability of our Xanaes River.
There is still time to avoid severe consequences, which is why in Despeñaderos we consistently strive to grow as a city with a wholly sustainable and forward-thinking vision, aiming to address present challenges and anticipate future ones.
What action are you taking to address climate change?
Thanks to direct access to international funding, the entire community is able to engage alongside the municipality in actions to mitigate climate change, by submitting innovative projects and joining the green jobs created through various municipal initiatives.
Moreover, we are working towards a “Green Despeñaderos,” with a primary focus on the creation and protection of green lungs and forest corridors in key areas for our Xanaes River, as well as the region’s native flora and fauna. This includes community-driven reforestation activities, the legal protection of these areas, circular economy programs with triple impact, and ongoing encouragement of recycling through the establishment of collection points throughout the city.
What are the benefits? Why is it important?
The main benefit has been the positive impact we have generated within the community, and consequently on the city’s environment. We have fostered a community committed to becoming increasingly sustainable, which in turn drives us to create ever more innovative solutions. These include using technology for early detection of potential wildfires (in 2022, we suffered a fire that threatened not only our environment but a large portion of our community), conducting workshops with recycled materials, and measuring the carbon footprint of events and seasonal activities, to name just a few examples. We are determined to continue making Despeñaderos a more sustainable city every day!
