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
Fondo Unido de Chihuahua "Plantemos hoy… para tener oxígeno mañana"
Short description of the intervention
Fondo Unido Chihuahua, in collaboration with its corporate partners, is committed to raising awareness about environmental care and reforestation. One of its flagship initiatives is the annual tree-planting campaign, "Planting Today to Have Oxygen Tomorrow," organized by United Way Chihuahua in Ciudad Juárez. This environmental initiative focuses on improving the quality of different urban green spaces (parks, school grounds, streets) while fostering ecological awareness in vulnerable communities across the city. The primary objective is to plant a significant number of trees throughout Ciudad Juárez, using native species that are water-efficient and well-adapted to the local climate and soil. In 2022 the initiative aimed to reforest 18 parks located mainly in the south-eastern part of this border city with 1,000 trees. In 2023 and 2024 the intervention focused on planting 850 trees scatted all over the city.

The campaign brings together donations and volunteers through partnerships with various stakeholders, including local and regional governments, private companies, community organizations, and the general public.
United Way Chihuahua oversees the planning, coordination, and logistical efforts for the campaign. On planting days, volunteers gather at designated sites, guided by the organization to ensure successful planting efforts and community engagement (Ref 1-4).
Website of the intervention
https://uwchihuahua.org/plantemos-hoy-para-tener-oxigeno-manana
Principal problems
Climate-Related Hazards
Heat stress & Extreme temperatures
Environmental Degradation
Deforestation and forest degradation
Soil degradation and loss
Air pollution
Desertification
Land use and Socio-economic change
Unequal availability and access to public green spaces
Implementation area characterization
Climate
Arid (Desert, Steppe)
Ecosystem
Deserts
Address

32000 Ciudad Juarez
Mexico

Location
The NBS is a city-wide initiative, the GIS point marks the centre of the city
Area boundary (map-based)
Area description
Urban (main city)
Other urban area outside city center (e.g. another municipality in the FUA, commuting zone)
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Residential
Public Greenspace Area
Other
Please specify “other type of area” before implementation of the NBS
The initiative targets unforested public spaces or schools, moslty in low-income or dangerous neighbouhoods (Ref 1).
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
unknown
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
2021
End date of the intervention
ongoing
Present stage of the intervention
Ongoing
Objectives of the intervention
Goals of the intervention
1. To improve public spaces (parks, streets, school grounds ) in disadvantaged or vulnerable communities in Juarez by cleaning them up, enhancing their ecological functions, and increasing tree cover with native plants. This includes the reforestation of public spaces to boost ecosystem services such as improving air quality, mitigating high temperatures that cause severe land degradation, enhancing perceptions of safety in public spaces, pruning, and enriching the soil.
2. To use endemic trees suitable for the extreme climate of the border region, improving the urban environment and creating decent, safe spaces for healthy recreation.
3. To raise awareness and foster public engagement: The campaign involves the public and includes educational components, where participants and the broader community learn about the importance of trees in urban ecosystems (Ref 1; 2; 3).
Key Priorities
Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation)
Social Justice and community
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
Climate change adaptation
Environmental quality
Air quality improvement
Soil quality improvement
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Green space creation and/or management
Health and well-being (SDG 3)
Creation of opportunities for recreation
Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
Social justice and equity
Environmental education
Sense of community and community engagement
Climate change adaptation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?
Implement measures that prevent/manage desertification, soil erosion and landslides
Increase urban vegetation cover to reduce urban heat island effect
Implementation activities and NBS focus
Implementation activities
The campaign is usually split into two parts which take several days to complete:
1) In the first semester of the year, activities are organised that consist of reforesting public spaces, including school yards.
2) In the second semester, activities are designed to improve public parks: cleaning and painting (Ref 1; 2).
-Between October 2021 and September 2022, Juarez Limpio provided technical support and guidance to Fondo Unido. Staff members were trained on interventions in public spaces and the benefits that urban trees provide for the improvement of the urban and social environment. In return, Fondo Unido donated 89 shovels and 140 picks to Juárez Limpio so that it can continue to carry out daily community activities (Ref 6).
-In 2022 the initiative reforested 18 parks located mainly in the south-eastern part of this border city with 1,000 trees. In 2023 and 2024 the intervention focused on planting 850 trees scatted all over the city. (1,2,3)
Type of NBS project
Maintenance and management of urban nature
Maintenance or upgrade of exisiting green spaces (e.g. parks)
n.a.
Ecological restoration of ecosystems
Soil remediation and revegetation
Knowledge creation and awareness raising
Educational and awareness raising programs
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Grey infrastructure featuring greens
Alley or street trees and other street vegetation
Green playgrounds and school grounds
Parks and urban forests
Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces
Amenities offered by the NBS
Unknown
Design elements for well-being
None of the above
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Regulating services
Local climate regulation (temperature reduction)
Air quality regulation
Cultural services
Recreation
Intellectual interactions (scientific and / or educational)
Social and community interactions
Scale
Spatial scale
Meso-scale: Regional, metropolitan and urban level
Beneficiaries
Demographics in implementation area
As of the latest available data, Ciudad Juárez has a population of approximately 1.5 million people, making it the most populous city in the state of Chihuahua and one of the largest in Mexico. The city's population is relatively young, with a significant portion of residents between the ages of 10 and 24. This youthful demographic is partly due to high birth rates and the influx of young workers attracted by employment opportunities in the city's extensive manufacturing sector (particularly in the 'maquiladoras' (factories)). However, despite the economic activity, the city faces challenges related with income inequality and high crime rates. The gender distribution is fairly balanced. Ethnically, Ciudad Juárez is predominantly composed of people of mestizo heritage, a mix of Indigenous and European ancestry, which is typical of most of Mexico. There are also small communities of indigenous peoples, although their numbers are relatively low compared to other regions in Mexico. Given its location on the border, Ciudad Juárez also has a significant cross-border population. The city has seen considerable migration, both from within Mexico and from other countries. The literacy rate is relatively high, reflecting national trends, but there are disparities in educational attainment levels. All in all, Ciudad Juarez exhibits a mixed income population, with poorer districts (Ref 5).
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
Urban heat islands
Communities near industrial areas
Informal settlements or slums
Communities located in floodplains
Non-government actors
Non-governmental organisation (NGO) / Civil society / Churches
Primary Beneficiaries
Citizens or community groups
Young people and children
Marginalized groups
Specify primary beneficiaries
-In 2024: "parks located in priority attention sectors due to the rates of violence, social backwardness and needs for community strengthening were selected" (Ref 1).
-In 2023: "Volunteers will work in 13 primary schools, three preschools and one 'albergue' [temporary shelter]" (ref 3).
-In 2022: "The parks were selected taking into consideration both the need for rehabilitation, as well as the environmental properties of the place and the favorable impact on people" (Ref 2).
-In 2019: "eager to create green spaces for the children of our community" (Ref 4).
It can therefore be said that, according to the sources available, the primary beneficiairies are marginalised communities, ordinary citizens and young people.
Marginalized groups
Children, young people or youth groups
Socio-economically disadvantaged populations (e.g. low-income households, unemployed)
Homeless people & people living in informal settlements
Measures for inclusion of marginalised groups
The 2024 edition of the campaign claims using socioeconomic indicators: "parks located in priority attention sectors due to the rates of violence, social backwardness and needs for community strengthening were selected" (Ref 1). This is also reflected by the 2022 edition: "the need for rehabilitation, as well as the environmental properties of the place and the favorable impact on people" (Ref 2).
Specify measures taken for vulnerable or marginalized communities
Other
Please specify other measure
Although specific measures are mostly unknown in the sources available, the initiative targets locations with some sort of vulnerability (Ref 1).
Other beneficiaries
Native plant vegetation
City infrastructure (e.g., reduced flooding, improved water quality)
Public health (e.g. increased physical activity opportunities, reduced stress)
Governance
Governance arrangements
Led by non-government actors
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
Fondo Unido Chihuahua has been leading the initiative (organisation and administration). It belongs to United Way Worldwide (UWW), an international philantopic network. For this campaign, it collects funds and integrates volunteer to intervene in the rescue of public spaces. It mainly forms partnerships with large companies (the "maquiladoras") who contribute through donations and employee involvement. The regional Secretariat of Urban Development and Ecology provided support during the 13th edition of the tree planting campaign (in 2022) (Ref 2). In the 2022 and 2024, Fondo Unido partnered with the NGO 'Juárez Limpio'. Juarez Limpio carries out actions to guarantee the continuity of the intervention by visiting the sites and encouraging the appropriation of the space by neighbours (Ref 6). Ordinary citizens and local communities also participate during implementation activities (Ref 1). The regional Secretariat of Urban Development and Ecology (SEDUE) provided financial support. (2)
Key actors - initiating organization
Non-government organisation/civil society
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
Regional government
Non-government organisation/civil society
Citizens or community group
Private sector/corporate actor/company
Stages of citizen and community engagement
On-the-ground implementation
Level of citizen and community engagement
Moderate
Community empowerment or capacity-building initiatives
Formation of community-led groups responsible for the the implementation, maintenace or monitoring of the project
Participatory methods/forms of stakeholder involvement (all stakeholders)
Crowd-sourcing/Crowd-funding/Participatory budget
Dissemination of information and education
Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
Uncommon actors ("Missing actors")
Public Services
Schools
Other
Please specify other missing actor
Ref 3 mentions an 'albergue' which most probably refers to a place where temporary shetler is offered to vulnerable people.
Land owners
Public space owned by the city
Educational actor (schools or universities)
Policy drivers
NBS intervention implemented in response to a Regional Directive/Strategy
Unknown
NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan
Unknown
NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan
Unknown
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Voluntary (spontaneous)
Enablers & Barriers
Type of enablers
Funds, subsidies or investment for GI/NBS in the city (available for the city or provided by the city)
Please provide details (e.g, name of the plan or strategy) for the selected policies or initiatives.
The regional Secretariat of Urban Development and Ecology (SEDUE) provided financial support for the 2022 edition (2)
Governace and decison-making instruments
Economic and fiscal instruments (e.g. subsidies or grants, charges or fees, payments for ecosystem services (PES))
Arrangements for governance cooperation
Capacity-building initiatives for governance actors (e.g. training workshops for local government officials/ community leaders)
Barriers
-None reported
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Please specify total cost (EUR)
The overall cost of the campaign is unknown, however:
-Ref 1 mentions that initiative made a donation to the 'Parks and Gardens Department' to install a hydraulic network that maintains the trees planted.
-Ref 2 mentions that for the 13th edition (2022), the regional Secretariat of Urban Development and Ecology (SEDUE) provided financial support.
What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
Public regional budget
Funds provided by non-governmental organization (NGO)
Crowdfunding
Type of fund(s) used
Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Donations
Non-financial contribution
Yes
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
Private sector (businesses, financial institution)
Type of non-financial contribution
Provision of labour
Co-finance for NBS
Yes
Co-governance arrangement
An NGO
Entrepreneurship opportunities
Unknown
Business models
Business models
Green densification model
Local stewardship model
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Private for-profit actor (e.g. firm, insurer)
Private non-for-profit actor (e.g. NGO, foundation)
Citizens / local communities
Impacts, benefits
Environmental impacts
Water management and blue areas
Reduced risk of damages by drought
Achieved reduced risk of damages by drought
Green space and habitat
Increased number of species present
Achieved increased number of species present
Description of environmental benefits
-Achieved reduced risk of damages by drought:
"As well as the Parks and Gardens Department, which will receive a donation of funds to install a hydraulic network that will allow maintenance and allow trees, both new and existing, to grow and provide ecosystem services" (Ref 1).
-Achieved increased number of species present:
"The Fund promotes the practice of naturalization of the space, which consists of planting native species and/or properties of the region that grow easily thanks to low water consumption and adaptation to the environment. Among which [...] we found palo verde, mezquite and huizache" (Ref 1).
Environmental impact indicators
Other indicators
3110 trees planted between 2019 and 2024
Economic impacts
Unknown
Social and cultural impacts
Social justice and cohesion
Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
Expected increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
Cultural heritage and sense of place
Increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging
Expected increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging
Education
Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
Expected increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
Safety
Increased perception of safety
Expected increased perception of safety
Social and cultural impact indicators
Number of participants in outdoor activities or exercise programs in green spaces
Number of volunteers in 2019 and 2023 together: 4,044 (Ref 3; 4)
Description of social and cultural benefits
-Expected increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces:
"the Juárez Limpio civil association that will visit the four points encouraging the participation of the neighbors and the appropriation of the space" (Ref 1).
-Expected increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging:
"In a second stage of collaboration, the rescue of damaged murals is contemplated, for which local muralists will be called upon through competitions" (Ref 2).
-Expected increased awareness of NBS and their benefits:
"Corporate partners seek to raise awareness about environmental stewardship and reforestation" (Ref 3).
-Expected increased perception of safety:
"This program creates decent and safe spaces for healthy recreation" (Ref 2)
Evidence for use of assessment
Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process
Yes
Actors involved in the assessment, monitoring or evaluation of NBS impacts
Non-government organisation/civil society
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Type of indicators
Input indicators
Process indicators
Outcome indicators
Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports
Yes
Link to monitoring/evaluation reports
https://uwchihuahua.org/plantemos-hoy-para-tener-oxigeno-manana
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
Unknown
Justice
Community satisfaction
Unknown
Description of locals satisfaction with the project
Unknown
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
No initiatives or policies were implemented
High-quality & Transformative NBS
Multiple impacts delivery (climate, biodiversity, just community)
No
Goal setting and impacts delivery
No, project goals were not set, and benefits were not delivered in all 3 key areas.
Reaching original project goals
Most of the project goals were achieved
Please specify the achievements of the project goals
Climate action:
-Achieved reduced risk of damages by drought:
"As well as the Parks and Gardens Department, which will receive a donation of funds to install a hydraulic network that will allow maintenance and allow trees, both new and existing, to grow and provide ecosystem services" (Ref 1).
-Achieved increased number of species present:
"The Fund promotes the practice of naturalization of the space, which consists of planting native species and/or properties of the region that grow easily thanks to low water consumption and adaptation to the environment. Among which [...] we found palo verde, mezquite and huizache" (Ref 1).
"Let's plant today... to have oxygen tomorrow" (Ref 4), "Some 1,700 volunteers have joined this activity to plant 600 trees in the city" (Ref 3).
Social justice and community:

-Expected increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces:
"the Juárez Limpio civil association that will visit the four points encouraging the participation of the neighbors and the appropriation of the space" (Ref 1).
-Expected increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging:
"In a second stage of collaboration, the rescue of damaged murals is contemplated, for which local muralists will be called upon through competitions" (Ref 2).
-Expected increased awareness of NBS and their benefits:
"Corporate partners seek to raise awareness about environmental stewardship and reforestation" (Ref 3).
-Expected increased perception of safety:
"This program creates decent and safe spaces for healthy recreation" (Ref 2)
Long-term perspective
Yes
Cost-effective solutions
Unknown
Equitable impacts
A. All stakeholders benefit fairly from the project
Transformative capacity
Social change (e.g. social relationships, networks and dynamics within them)
Ecological change (e.g. ecosystem functions and their distribution)
Magnitude of change
Incremental: shallow; that is, mostly maintaining business-as-usual approaches to adaptation
Application of lessons learned
Unknown
Perception of Environmental Change
Unknown
References
1.
Ahumada, D. (2024). Inicia Fondo Unido campaña ‘Plantemos Hoy' 2024. Ciudad Juarez: netnoticias.mx, Accessed on August 26, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];
2.
Redacción Agencia Red Norte (2022). Inician Estado y Asociación Fondo Unido Chihuahua programa de reforestación y rescate de espacios públicos en Juárez. Redacción Agencia Red Norte, Accessed on August 26, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];
3.
González, R, (2023). Se unen para reforestar Juárez. Ciudad Juarez: netnoticias.mx, Accessed on August 26, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];
4.
Salcedo, J. (2019). Plantemos hoy… para tener oxígeno mañana. United Way - Fondo Unido Chihuahu, Accessed on August 26, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];
5.
Associacion Plan Estrategico de Juarez (2024). Asi Estamos 2024. Ciudad Juarez: Associacion Plan Estrategico de Juarez, Accessed on August 26, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];
6.
Juarez Limpio (2023). Informe anual de actividades 2022. Ciudad Juarez: Juarez Limpio, Accessed on September 10, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];
Comments and notes
Public Images
Volunteers making space for a tree
Volunteers making space for a tree
Retrieved from the website of the initiative: https://uwchihuahua.org/plantemos-hoy-para-tener-oxigeno-manana