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WATER COOPERATION, SUSTAINABILITY AND POVERTY ERADICATIONImage: Roberto Menéndez, IMTAFishing activities thrive again in Lake Pátzcuaro, with the famous island of Janitzio in the backgroundRegarding fish production and species protection, the breeding ofwhite fish (Chirostoma estor estor) and the Pátzcuaro Chub (Algansealacustris) has been developed in the township of Urandén de Morelosin the municipality of Pátzcuaro. Thus, more than 15.1 million fishwere bred and released into the lake between 2003 and 2011. A modulewith four ponds was built for breeding white fish in the community ofIchupio and 26 fishing organizations were supported with the provisionof 735 nets for fishing carp. This activity, together with programmes forimproving fishing practices, the removal of aquatic weeds and silt, andthe rehabilitation and conservation of navigable canals and reproductionareas, has enabled a significant improvement in the conditions andcapacity for fish production in Lake Pátzcuaro.The Lake Pátzcuaro watershed has been equipped with 11 weatherstations: five digital pluviometers and six complete climatologicalstations that measure variables such as precipitation, temperature,relative humidity, solar radiation, and wind direction and velocity.As for land use, there was an increase in agricultural land andin urban areas, mainly in the subwatersheds of Pátzcuaro andTzurumútaro compared to 2008. One of the main variables of thewater balance is evapotranspiration, which decreased in four subwatersheds,while surface run-off increased in Ajuno, San Jerónimoand Erongarícuaro.Thanks to the efforts and results associated with more than 250specific actions and projects, it can be proudly said that there hasbeen a series of tangible benefits for the watershed and its inhabitants.While the results obtained so far are very encouraging, it is importantto give continuity to and reinforce the actions foreseen in theprogramme. In this regard, it is worth mentioning the battery ofindicators that have been adopted to follow up the rehabilitationof the watershed. For instance, from 2003 to 2011, treated wastewaterflows went from 52 l/s to 172.5 l/s (23 per cent and 78 percent respectively, from the total wastewater generated in the water-shed). In the same period, sewerage services went from83 per cent to 90 per cent. The water quality index ofthe lake went from 54.5 in 2003 to 62.9 in 2011, whichmeans that today, the current water quality of the lakeis adequate for fishing activities. Fish production wentfrom 50 tons in 2003 to 155 tons in 2011. The numberof inhabitants with water supply services went from1,500 in 2005 to 9,115 in 2011 and those with basicsanitation rose from 2,000 in 2005 to 6,135 in 2011.The number of poverty-stricken inhabitants with selfconsumptionfood production systems went from 750in 2005 to 5,580 in 2011.What has been briefly described here represents only afew examples of the many and diverse actions that havebeen taken to transform this watershed for the benefit ofall its inhabitants. This transformation has been possiblethanks to the cooperation of federal, state and municipalgovernment authorities; of federal agencies such as theNational Water Commission and the Mexican Institute ofWater Technology; of private organizations and NGOs,most notably the Gonzalo Río Arronte Foundation; oflocal schools and academic institutions; and last, butcertainly not least, of the inhabitants of the lakesidecommunities, who with good will and enthusiasm havecollaborated to make this programme a success. Theachievements attained by this programme testify tothe fact that social and inter-institutional cooperation,following a multidisciplinary methodology, constitutesthe best strategy for reverting environmental deterioration,and demonstrates that tackling water issues with anintegrated watershed approach is the best way to solvethe socioenvironmental problems of a given region.[ 232 ]