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BENEFITS

FREE WATER

22 million Mexicans lack access to piped water in their homes (INEGI, 2021). A rainwater harvesting system provides a renewable source of high-quality water at the point of use.

REDUCE DEMANDS ON GROUNDWATER

Approximately 62% of Mexico’s water consumption comes from underground sources. Residential rainwater systems can provide clean rainwater for up to 12 months in rural areas and up to 8 months in urban areas, thereby reducing reliance on traditional water supply sources.

PROVIDES RESILIENCE AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE

Rainwater capture is particularly useful in regions with uneven rainfall distribution to build resilience to shocks and ensure supplies for dry periods. (UN-Water). Systems function as a decentralized water system for climate change adaptation (Sedlak 2024).

BETTER QUALITY WATER

The 2020 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) indicates that nearly half of Mexico’s surface water sources are contaminated. Rainwater offers a superior alternative to other available or traditional sources, which may be compromised by issues such as fluoride, salinity, or arsenic contamination in groundwater (HATUM & WORM, 2006).

REDUCE EROSION AND FLOODING

According to the World Bank: 68.2% of the Mexican population is prone to experiencing the effects of natural disasters. Rainwater harvesting systems effectively mitigate stormwater runoff, thereby reducing flooding and erosion.

LESS COSTLY, SIMPLE TO DEPLOY AND MAINTAIN

Local residents can be easily trained to construct and maintain RWH systems themselves, which not only reduces costs but also promotes greater community participation, ownership, and sustainability. This approach fosters a sense of responsibility and ensures the long-term success of rainwater harvesting initiatives at the community level (HATUM & WORM 2006).

LESS CARBON EMISSIONS

Harvesting water on-site reduces CO2 emissions because the water doesn’t need to be pumped long distances, transported in trucks, or undergo complex or energy-intensive purification. This decrease in energy consumption leads to lower CO2 emissions since less energy use means less CO2 produced.

CAN REDUCE CONFLICT

Water scarcity has long fueled conflict in Mexico, with drug cartels exploiting the situation by siphoning and reselling water from public utilities at inflated prices. If the U.S. redirected some of its drug war aid to support water capture and management initiatives in Mexico, it could significantly reduce violence and crime. (Jordan Kinard, Scientific American, 2023).

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGs)