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.

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.