Rosalina’s story highlights the complex relationship between movement and necessity. While many associate exercise with wellness and freedom, Rosalina’s experience was rooted in survival, walking miles for water. A rainwater harvesting system transformed her life, illustrating the need for equitable access to resources.
Mexico City’s wild ride continues! One year it’s bone-dry, the next, record-breaking rains. The city’s water woes are becoming the new norm. Can Mexico City adapt to its changing hydrological identity and learn to harness the deluge?
Rainwater harvesting goes far beyond quenching humans’ thirst and providing a biological necessity to many. It nurtures the historical bond between humans and their four-legged companions: dogs. In places where water scarcity is so deeply intertwined with infrastructural and social inequality, like Mexico City, reliable water is a life jacket for communities, and surrounding flora and fauna. Through interviews and observations, this story shines a light on how sustainable water systems bring positive reverberations to humans and ecosystems our globe depends on.
In the mountains of Oaxaca, the Mazatec people have long faced months of drought and the daily struggle to secure clean water. Isla Urbana’s Nandá Jtsí program brings rooftop rainwater harvesting systems, technical training, and local ownership to communities where nearly 90% of households lack safe water. This story explores how a partnership between Isla Urbana and the Mazatec is transforming water access into a foundation for resilience, autonomy, and a stronger future.
In Toluca, water scarcity once forced Escuela Primaria Cinco de Mayo to close its doors. Today, thanks to Isla Urbana’s Escuelas de Lluvia program, the school’s rainwater harvesting system does more than provide clean water: it’s a catalyst for education, environmental stewardship, and community pride. From flourishing gardens to students eager to maintain them, this story explores how a simple shift in water access can transform classrooms, empower young changemakers, and inspire an entire neighborhood to rethink sustainability.
Sometimes the answers we’re looking for fall to us from above. Lluvia Para Todos is an exploratory feature on Isla Urbana, a Mexico City–based nonprofit group leading a rainwater revolution throughout Mexico. Centering on the human dimensions of the country’s water crisis, the piece examines how rainwater harvesting is improving access to clean water while advancing gender equity and social justice. Through graduate research, interviews, and firsthand reporting, author Sean Donnelly explores how one grassroots initiative is reshaping the future for women, schoolchildren, and indigenous communities—one rooftop at a time.
Our Student Rainmakers are an unstoppable force, turning their passion into action for water justice. Whether through our cross-country student groups, or our immersive summer program, we empower young leaders to become the next generation of water advocates driving real change!
In the spirit of Earth Day, we want to highlight the amazing environmental benefits of rainwater harvesting. This sustainable solution fosters climate resilience, reduces environmental strain, and supports local communities in managing their water resources more efficiently.
Happy World Water Day! Every March 22nd, this global holiday raises awareness of water issues, specifically scarcity. This year’s theme, “Glacier Preservation,” highlights the critical role glaciers play in providing water to millions. Innovative solutions like artificial glaciers and rainwater harvesting both offer hope for combating water shortages.
This International Women’s Day, we honor the resilience of women who keep their families and communities afloat despite the weight of water scarcity, sacrificing time, health, and opportunities to secure water for their families. Celebrate their strength, honor their resilience, and help us create a world where water is no longer a burden women must bear alone.
Corporate partnerships support Isla Urbana Rain Schools by funding RWH systems and supporting environmental education. This mutually beneficial partnership fosters sustainable water accessibility and community empowerment, all while building corporate social responsibility and brand leadership.
In the same spirit of recognizing how our rainmakers drive this progress, we’d like to share the words of a few of the 3,269 beneficiaries of our rainwater harvesting and purification systems, highlighting how your support has transformed their lives.
