1. General information Location and description of the intervention City or FUA Ciudad Juárez (FUA) Region Latin America and the Caribbean Native title of the NBS intervention El Chamizal: de parque a zona de restauración ecológica Short description of the intervention “El Chamizal is a site of significant sociocultural importance and a key part of the identity of the people of Juarez. It is frequently visited by over 200,000 people seeking a space for recreation and enjoyment.” Located along the Rio Bravo/Grande river, El Chamizal is a park and a riparian area (Ref 2). Despite its popularity, the park has been suffering three decades of irregular management by the Municipal Government of Juárez and is facing issues such as accelerated desertification, soil degradation, and biodiversity loss. (Ref.2) To counteract some of these challenges, in February 2024, the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) and the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (Conanp) designated El Chamizal Park, spanning 327 hectares, as a Zone of Ecological Restoration (ZER) (Ref 1). The restoration plan involves dividing the park into four distinct zones, each with specific recovery actions (Ref 1; 2). Zone A, covering 107.3 hectares, is designated as a conservation area where reforestation with native species must commence. Zone B, which spans 47.8 hectares, also requires reforestation with native plants. Zone C, encompassing 12.7 hectares, consists of flooded or floodable plains that must remain in their current state. However, the surrounding ecosystem in this zone needs restoration with native aquatic plants to aid in stormwater purification. Zone D, at 159.8 hectares, contains existing infrastructure—such as buildings, installations, and communications—that must remain unchanged (Ref 3, p. 96). The project proposal is still awaiting implementation. Website of the intervention https://zonafree.mx/2024/05/22/el-rescate-de-el-chamizal/ Principal problems Climate-Related Hazards Urban flooding (stormwater) Drought Heat stress & Extreme temperatures Environmental Degradation Biodiversity loss Deforestation and forest degradation Soil degradation and loss Physical water retention and availability Desertification Health, Well-being and Social cohesion Inadequate access to recreational opportunities Implementation area characterization Climate Arid (Desert, Steppe) Ecosystem Deserts Urban or built environment Address Ing. David Herrera, C. Malecón, Chamizal. 32300 Juárez Mexico Location The NBS is situated in an area, with clear delineation of boundaries and a specific shape (polygon). The NBS project can also have more than one area location (more than one polygon, situated close by). Area boundary (map-based) NBS area image Source of NBS area image Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales. Enero 2024. Estudio Técnico Justificativo para la declaratoria de la Zona de Restauración Ecológica El Chamizal, en el estado de Chihuahua, México. Page, 97, retrieved from (Accessed 20.08.2024): https://zonafree.mx/2024/05/22/el-rescate-de-el-chamizal/ Total area 3277280.00m² NBS area 1578900.00m² Area description Urban (main city) Type of area before implementation of the NBS Public Greenspace Area Mixed-use development (combination of residential, commercial, and/or industrial) Timeline of intervention Start date of the intervention (planning process) 2024 Start date of intervention (implementation process) in planning stage End date of the intervention unknown Present stage of the intervention In planning stage 2. Objectives of the intervention Objectives of the intervention Goals of the intervention The main objectives of the intervention: - Biodiversity conservation: recover degraded soils, clear invasive alien species, reintroduce native elements and increase vegetation cover to restore native, riparian ecosystems that harbour valued, endemic or endangered species (Zone A, B, C). - Restore the ecological function: upgrade the ecological function to enhance the ecosystem services delivered (air quality, pollination, temperature regulation, carbon sequestration, quality green space area for recreation, mitigating riverbank erosion, mitigating desertification, increasing water retention) (Zone A, B, C). - Adress water stress: maintain or increase wetland habitat to enhance the ability to retain and purify water (Zone C). - Public engagement: engaging with local communities and landowners in the conservation efforts (all zones). - At least discouraging the expansion of urban infrastructure in Zone D. - Cultural function: restoring a site of shared heritage and identity i.e. of historical and cultural relevance to border communities (Ref 3) Key Priorities Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation) Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration) Sustainability challenge(s) addressed Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13) Climate change adaptation Climate change mitigation Environmental quality Air quality improvement Soil quality improvement Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15) Green space creation and/or management Habitat and biodiversity restoration Water management (SDG 6) Flood protection Improvements to water quality Water security Cultural heritage and cultural diversity Preservation of natural heritage Health and well-being (SDG 3) Creation of opportunities for recreation Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10) Sense of community and community engagement Climate change adaptation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets? Increase urban vegetation cover to reduce urban heat island effect Implement sustainable urban drainage schemes to manage stormwater Climate change mitigation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets? Increase the availability of green urban space for carbon storage (street tree cover) What types of restoration goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention? Species-focused Ecosystem-focused What activities are implemented to realize the restoration goals and targets? Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified) Restore native species Restore valued species Restore endangered species Clear and control invasive alien species Implementation activities and NBS focus Implementation activities 1) To elaborate the technical report justifying the ZER: a) Office work to identify the land use, potential stressors, vegetation type, species of Chamizal. Creation of maps incorporating high-resolution satellite image. b) Field work to verify the types of vegetation and floristic composition present in the proposed ZRE. Field trips were carried out in teams made up of specialists and local personnel. Drones were used in inaccessible locations. c) The data was then processed, analysised or mapped. 2) The workgroup dafted a document which makes a proposal of 14 actions of ecosystem restoration or conservation and 7 activities that should be avoided or prohibited in El Chamizal (including prohibiting the construction or expansion of urban infrastructure) (Ref 3). 3) The document was put up to public consulation (Ref 1), from May 20 to June 18, 2024 (Ref 4). “This document is not complete, it is a document like all of which are available and reviewed, with information or knowledge that we have of the territory -to be enriched - and we still must ensure that all voices are heard” [...], "in the initial stage”. 4) The next stage will be to compile the feedback and draft an Ecological Restoration Program/Plan (PRE), a draft decree that will be confirmed by the relevant authorities (Ref 4). Type of NBS project Maintenance and management of urban nature Maintenance or upgrade of exisiting green spaces (e.g. parks) Management and improved protection of rivers and other blue areas Restoration, protecion and sustainable manage floodplains Restoration of riparian vegetation Ecological restoration of ecosystems Soil remediation and revegetation Remediation activities of sites with very poor environmental quality Protection of natural ecosystems Habitat restoration Habitat conservation 3. NBS domains, ES and scale NBS domain and interventions Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented Blue infrastructure Rivers/streams/canals/estuaries In-land wetlands, peatlands, swamps, and moors Parks and urban forests Large urban parks or forests Amenities offered by the NBS Playgrounds Sports areas and equipment Cultural (museum, concert areas) Complementing infrastructure (bathrooms, café) Design elements for well-being None of the above Services Expected ecosystem services delivered Provisioning services Water (surface and ground water for drinking and non-drinking purposes) Regulating services Local climate regulation (temperature reduction) Air quality regulation Carbon storage/sequestration Water purification / filtration Pollination Habitat and supporting services Habitats for species Cultural services Recreation Social and community interactions Scale Spatial scale Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level Beneficiaries Demographics in implementation area The population in the locality has increased by 89.76 % between 1990-2020 (Ref 3, 64). The degree of "marginalization in the locality is classified as 'Very Low'; Likewise, 82.75% of the population of the municipality of Juárez earns less than 2 minimum wages [combined], while 15.12% live in overcrowded private homes and 24% of the population aged 15 or older does not have basic education" (59). Socio-economic profile of the area Mixed income Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts Yes Specification of climate or environmentally vulnerable communities Low-income neighborhoods Communities located in floodplains Primary Beneficiaries Citizens or community groups Specify primary beneficiaries -The ZER is targeted at ordinary citizens of Juarez: "According to the document, the purpose of this declaration is to restore the landscape and environmental services provided by El Chamizal for the benefit of the population of Ciudad Juárez, its historical, socioeconomic and cultural importance is part of the identity of the people of Juárez, they see this space as a place of recreation and contact with the natural environment" (Ref 4). Marginalized groups Unknown Other beneficiaries Local wildlife (e.g., birds, pollinators) Native plant vegetation Endangered species (flora and fauna) Natural habitats (e.g. wetland, forests, coastal areas) Ecosystem services (e.g. improved air quality, water purification) City infrastructure (e.g., reduced flooding, improved water quality) 4. Governance and financing Governance Governance arrangements Government-led Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative The Federal Government spearheads the initiative through Semarnat (Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources) and Conanp (National Commission of Protected Natural Areas) (Ref 1; Ref 3). These bodies will need to reach agreements with the municipality once the project is started (Ref 4). So far there have been consultations with five social organizations, independent specialists (academics, biologists, agronomists), and individuals interested in environmental conservation in Juárez (Ref 1). The community engagement was presented as an explicit desire to make a plan developed '"by everyone” in a collective manner.' (Ref.1) Key actors - initiating organization National government Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors) Local government/municipality Non-government organisation/civil society Citizens or community group Stages of citizen and community engagement Development of project proposal Level of citizen and community engagement High Community empowerment or capacity-building initiatives Creation of collaborative decision-making processes that actively involve community members Participatory methods/forms of stakeholder involvement (all stakeholders) Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping) Taskforce groups Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls) Uncommon actors ("Missing actors") Community & Social Groups Activist groups (e.g. climate, environment, justice, etc) Land owners Public space owned by the city Other Please specify other landowner Ref 2 mentions that ownership of the ZER is "66% municipal, 10% state, 2% federal and for the remaining 22% there is no information on the type of property." Policy drivers NBS intervention implemented in response to a Regional Directive/Strategy Yes Please specify the "Regional Directive/Strategy" Ref 1 explains that in the introduction of the document that declared to El Chamizal as a ZER, the authors mention aligning with "the United Nations's decade on ecosystem restauration (2021-2030)." NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan Yes Please specify the national regulations/strategy/plan Ref 3 mentions articles of federal law to justify the legal basis for the creation of the ZER: "Article 67 of the Regulations of the General Law on Ecological Balance and Environmental Protection in the Matter of Protected Natural Areas" (98), arguing that the degradation of the ecosystem forces the Federal level to intervene. If there is a relevant strategy or plan, please specify the theme/type of the plan National Biodiversity Strategy or Action Plan NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan Unknown Mandatory or voluntary intervention Mandatory (based on policy) Intervention is mandatory Environmental regulation Enablers & Barriers Type of enablers Unknown Governace and decison-making instruments Legislative and regulatory instruments (e.g. laws, strategies, regulations or restrictions) Strategic instruments (e.g. GI strategies, green space strategy or plans) Arrangements for governance cooperation Task forces or commissions (e.g. group of multi-disciplinary experts) Barriers -None reported. Financing Total cost Unknown Please specify total cost (EUR) -The total cost has not been defined yet by the initiative but will be made publicly available once the program has been fully formulated: "Article 67 of ]....] indicates that the Ecological Restoration Programs formulated by the Agency must contain, at least, the following:" [...] "Costs and financing sources that are expected" (Ref 3, 98). The costs will therefore be made public once the Ecological Restoration Program/Plan has been drafted. What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements? Unknown Source(s) of funding Unknown Type of fund(s) used Unknown Non-financial contribution Unknown Co-finance for NBS Unknown Entrepreneurship opportunities Unknown Business models Business models Risk reduction model Green heritage model Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model? Public actor (e.g. municipality) 5. Evaluation and learning Impacts, benefits Environmental impacts Climate change Lowered local temperature Expected lowered local temperature Enhanced carbon sequestration Expected enhanced carbon sequestration Environmental quality Improved soil quality Expected improved soil quality Water management and blue areas Reduced risk of damages by drought Expected reduced risk of damages by drought Green space and habitat Increased green space area Expected increased green space area Increased protection of threatened species Expected increased protection of threatened species Improved prevention or control of invasive alien species Expected improved prevention or control of invasive alien species Enhanced support of pollination Expected enhanced support of pollination Description of environmental benefits -Expected lowered local temperature: "Maintain the functioning of the El Chamizal ecosystems and the environmental services they provide, such as [...] mitigation of high temperatures by increasing areas with vegetation cover"(Ref 2). -Expected enhanced carbon sequestration: "Maintain the functioning of the El Chamizal ecosystems and the environmental services they provide, such as carbon capture" (Ref 2). -Expected improved soil quality: "Maintain the functioning of the El Chamizal ecosystems and the environmental services they provide, such as [...] preventing erosion and guaranteeing the stability of soils as substrates" (Ref 2). -Expected reduced risk of damages by drought: "The recovery and creation of wetlands also contributes to having clean water ecosystems and mitigating droughts" (Ref 3). -Expected increased green space area: The creation of Zone B (47,8 hectares): an area where reforestation with native plants must be undertaken but requires the elimination or modification of activites. -Expected increased protection of threatened species: ''They found 256 different species of flora and fauna within the 327 hectares that are being considered for declaration as ZER—of which 15 are classified as species at risk and 21 as “priority for conservation”' (Ref 4). -Expected improved prevention or control of invasive alien species "In the proposed ZER, a total of 20 exotic species, 20 exotic-invasive species, have been identified so far" (Ref 3, 46). -Expected enhanced support of pollination: "Of importance is the presence of invertebrates such as the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), subject to special protection according to NOM-059-SEMARNAT 2010 and a priority for conservation in Mexico, as well as 14 species of pollinating insects, including flies, butterflies, bees, bumblebees and moths, the latter being essential for the pollination of characteristic plants of the Chihuahuan Desert such as the yucca.”(Ref 2) Economic impacts Unknown Social and cultural impacts Cultural heritage and sense of place Increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging Expected increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging Description of social and cultural benefits -Expected increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging: 'Montero referred to the “hundreds” of young people, saying “that we give them the opportunity to know their roots, not only natural but also cultural, and El Chamizal can be a milestone for us to advance in this recovery and give them identity"' (Ref 4). Evidence for use of assessment Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process Unknown Presence of indicators used in reporting No evidence in public records Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports No evidence in public records Availability of a web-based monitoring tool No evidence in public records Name of any specific impact assessment tools Unknown Use of GIS in mapping impacts No evidence in public records Cost-benefit analysis Unknown Transparency Meetings with stakeholders’ representatives Community forums for information sharing and encouraging the participation of marginalized groups Online disclosure of technical reports (e.g. project documents, reports, or data) Justice Community satisfaction Positive: The majority of feedback and reports indicate high levels of satisfaction and appreciation for the NBS project within the community. Description of locals satisfaction with the project -Ref 4 mentions: "Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua.— The first actions for the declaration of the El Chamizal Ecological Restoration Zone were carried out after dozens of citizen voices were heard in favor of this park within the urban area of Ciudad Juárez." Generally speaking, locals are satisfied with the project because it goes much further beyond anything the municipality has proposed. Sources suggest that the locals distrust the municipality's capacity to adress the ecological deterioriation of the park, because it has been left without maintenance for decades. They are therefore satisfied so far with the initiative. Trade-offs & Negative impacts Unknown Emphasis of existing social inequalities or injustices No information reported related to negative social justice-related impacts of the NBS project Measures to prevent gentrification or displacement Unknown High-quality & Transformative NBS Multiple impacts delivery (climate, biodiversity, just community) No Goal setting and impacts delivery In the planning phase, the project aimed to address issues in all 3 key priority areas, but impacts were not delivered in all three key areas. Reaching original project goals Inconclusive as the project is still undergoing implementation, or is still on its planning stages Please specify the achievements of the project goals The project is in its implementation stage as of September 2024. Long-term perspective Yes Cost-effective solutions Yes Equitable impacts A. All stakeholders benefit fairly from the project Transformative capacity Ecological change (e.g. ecosystem functions and their distribution) Technical change (e.g. built infrastructure of cities and their parts, roads, buildings and so on) Magnitude of change Reformist: by focusing on addressing underlying drivers of change but failing to address the problem structurally or systemically Application of lessons learned Unknown Perception of Environmental Change Unknown 6. Sources References 1. Ahumada, D. (2024). Dialogan sobre la preservación de El Chamizal. Juarez: netnoticias.mx, Accessed on August 20, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 2. Zonafree.mx (2024). El rescate de El Chamizal. Zonafree.mx, Accessed on August 20, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 3. Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (2024). Estudio técnico justificativo para el establecimiento de la Zona de Restauración Ecológica El Chamiza. omisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas, Accessed on August 20, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 4. La Verdad Juarez (2024). El Chamizal: de parque a zona de restauración ecológica. YoCiudadano, Accessed on August 20, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; Comments and notes Public Images Image Entrance to the Park Retrieved from: https://yociudadano.com.mx/cruceros-de-juarez-en-top-nacional-de-siniestros-viales/
Image Entrance to the Park Retrieved from: https://yociudadano.com.mx/cruceros-de-juarez-en-top-nacional-de-siniestros-viales/
