METROPOLITAN WATER FUND FROM MONTERREY (FAMM) MÉXICO

Country: Mexico Release Date: Septiembre 2013 City: Monterrey Water Basin: San Juan River

CONTEXT Monterrey was founded on the shores of the “Santa Catarina” River. Its main tributary is the bi-national Basin of the Bravo River; it emerges at the “Sierra Madre Occidental” and flows through bushes, cities, deserts and cultivated fields up to the “Río Grande” in the frontier between United States and Mexico.

Historically Monterrey has suffered many problems related to water. The degradation of ecosystems due to the growth of the city typically ends in periods of intense dryness and flooding caused by extreme hydrometeorological events. All of this threatens the growth and development of the city.

Healthy basins increase the amount of water for infiltration and help to mitigate extreme hydrometeorological events, , which in turn protect the city’s economy, secure drinking supplies for the city’s residents, and protect natural ecosystems located in the basin. Investing in conservation and the improved management of the basin is directly related to the economy and the well-being of the Metropolitan Area of Monterrey and its inhabitants.

The sub-basin of the San Juan River is essential maintaining the water security of the Metropolitan Area of Monterrey, the state of Nuevo León. It has an extension of more than 32 thousand square kilometers and provides more than 60% of the water that Metropolitan Area of Monterrey uses, which has approximately 4 million people.

BENEFICIARIES The Metropolitan Area of Monterrey is a developing industrial city that currently includes more than 8 municipalities with a population of more than 4 million inhabitants.

PARTNERS The FAMM has more than 60 partners that include the federal government, local government, state agencies, in addition of companies, non-governmental organizations, organizations of civil society and universities. GOALS

The FAMM’s long-term goals are:

To reduce the flow of water that flows by the Santa Catarina basin to 750 m3/s (during catastrophic rains) To increase available water by 20% for infiltration To increase the environment awareness of the population To develop local capacities for environmental management.

The FAMM is the result of a collaborative effort between the public, private, academic sectors and civil society, who all share the same vision for the future: to protect water funds –those focused on surface and groundwater sources- contributing to its development and to its sustainable well-being for Monterrey’s population.

Through the FAMM investments in conservation of the basins (reforestation, restoration, groundwater management and other sustainable activities) are financed and catalyzed to reduce the risk because of natural disasters and to improve water infiltration.

Area of influence of the Water Fund: 186,422 Has.

This Fund is part of The Latin American Water Funds Partnership, created in June, 2011 by The Nature Conservancy (TNC), FEMSA Foundation, The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to create and strengthen the Water Funds in Latin America.

www.waterfunds.org

UNITED UNITED STATES STATES N MEXICO

Nuevo Leon

Bravo Salinas River Pesqueria River San River Basin Juan River Santa Catarina River San Miguel Ramos

O. Atlántico River River

Plun River

Nuevo PACIFIC Leon OCEAN MEXICO San Juan MEXICO River Basin