GEF PROGRAM FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PRIORITIZED Emerging and Sustainable Cities PROJECTS IN THREE MEXICAN CITIES

Country and Sustainable Cities IAP Overview

Mexico is the 12th producer of emissions by energy consumption globally. Due to its geographic conditions, Mexico is highly vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change. During the last decade, the country’s economic growth and urbanization trends have increased Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. If the tendency prevails, the Government of Mexico (GoM) estimates that by 2020 this amount will increase by 28% and reach 1 billion CO2 equivalent tons. According to data from the Mexican Federal Government, 75 municipalities are vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Most of these municipalities are intermediate cities located near low coastal areas prone to flooding; high-risk slopes susceptible to landslides; deserts; or very populated zones where water is scarce and droughts are commonplace. Ecosystems degradation in coastal areas increases the impact of climate change related events, such as flooding, coastal erosion and sea-level rise. In Mexico, the main ocean pollution source is sewages that evacuate directly into the ocean. A high percentage of this wastewater is untreated: out of the 154 coastal municipalities in Mexico, only 77 have wastewater treatment plants.11 And even in these plants, a very limited amount operates in its full capacity due to lack of maintenance and regulation enforcement. The aforementioned situation has been exacerbated by the country’s rapid urbanization, which has been especially visible in intermediate cities. During recent years, population in cities of more than 100,000 inhabitants in Mexico has increased substantially. In 1990, 47.9 million people were living in urban areas and in 2010 this number rose to 88 million. The urbanization trend is expected to continue for the foreseeable future. This shows the importance of developing successful projects that tackle both emissions and climate change adaptation challenges in these cities. This process helped prioritize the most sensitive issues in each city and define the strategic sectors and projects that would be supported by this operation: solid waste (Xalapa), energy (La Paz), and sanitation (Campeche).

All three participating cities, Campeche, La Paz, and Xalapa, have already undergone the first phase of IADB’s Emerging and Sustainable Cities Initiative (ESCI); there are 127 indicators in three sustainability dimensions environmental, urban and governance an action plan. Support from SC IAP will help implement the recommendations stated in the Action Plans.

Sustainable Cities IAP Project Proponent

Banco Nacional de Obras y Servicios Públicos (BANOBRA)

Implementing Agency

Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)

Partner Agencies:

• IADB Mexico

• Emerging and Sustainable Cities Initiative