UCCRN Case Study Docking Station (2025)
DOI: 10.7916/pw29-7j75.
Introduction
Climate change has altered the temperature and precipitation patterns affecting Mexico City’s aquifer recharge rate, as well as the Lerma and Cutzamala water-sheds, the three main sources providing water for Mexico City. It is expected that long-term changes in temperature and precipitation will result in a significant decrease in freshwater availability. These shortages will affect water access for the most vulnerable people, who have already experienced water insecurity for decades due to inefficient water public services and inadequate infrastructure, as well as pre-existing social, economic and gender inequalities.
To address this problem, beyond implementing traditional infrastructure solutions, which are time and resource-intensive, Mexico City’s government has implemented a program since 2019 aimed at increasing water access through rain-water harvesting at the household level. The Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) Program or Cosecha de Lluvia is oriented to benefit the most vulnerable population in the city in terms of both water scarcity and marginalization. From 2019 to 2021,
more than 30 thousand systems have been installed benefiting more than 150 thousand people from the implementation of such “blue infrastructure” by increasing water access. The program is expected to benefit at least another 150 thousand people in the next three years, making it the largest rainwater harvesting program globally in an urban context.
