Americas ok.indd - World Water Council

Action: Water Forever (This Action was also selected by theEvaluation Committee of the Regional Committee of the Americas)Action: Use and exploitationof “lees 53 ” (vinaza) wastewatersProblem: In the Mixteca region, which extends to the states of Pueblaand Oaxaca, there is a severe problem of water shortage.Activities performed:In 1980 was started a process of regional sustainable developmentpromoted by Alternativas y Procesos de Participación Social A. C.in benefit of the people of the region. In 1986, the results of aninvestigation led to the conclusion that the solution would be theregeneration of ravines and basins. During 1988 was started a greatproject for rain water catchment, which required an intensive work ofsocial organization of the population benefited. The project consisted in agabion dam and an earth dam to store the water of a ravine.Since that experience, the program “Water Forever” has continued itswork without ever stopping and has extended its actions to 164 locationsof the region, in 31 tributary basins.It also formed the first museum specialized in water of the country,which shows the elements to facilitate a better understanding of theproblem and the alternatives available to solve it.Results obtained:There is a sound capacity of institutional action that allows to benefit170,000 inhabitants of 60 municipalities of the states of Puebla andOaxaca.It has been possible to change dry ravines into watercourses wherewater constantly flows throughout the year.From 1992 to 2004, the Program was able to attract to the region atotal amount of $13 million dollars. In the last three years it has raisedfunds for about 2.5 million a year.Problem: The lees dischargeproduced in the sugar millprocess of the Ingenio El CarmenS.A. de C.V., in the state of Veracruz,polluted the Rio Blanco sub-basin.Activities performed:The Ingenio built a neutralization, cooling and storage system for lees,to apply it as fertilizer in sugar cane fields and also as raw material in ananaerobic reactor of the company Kimberly & Clark for biogas generation,which is used in steam generators.Besides, two tank type units were acquired for the transportation oflees to the two points of disposal (sugar cane fields and Kimberly Clark)The cost of the action by the Ingenio was of 3.8 million pesos, coveringthe construction of dikes and tanks, the coating of tanks, the acquisitionof two truck tractors, the expenses for the neutralization of lees and theoperation and maintenance of the truck tractors from 2001 to 2005.Results obtained:The lees application in sugar cane fields has allowed to increment by a30% the sugar cane production.There was an increment of more than 100% of the biogas generationproducing 4,800m 3 /day for the consumption of the steam generators ofKimberly & Clark.The application of lees has increased in sugar cane fields and it hasbeen requested to sow other type of fields.Likewise, it resulted in a reduction of the pollution of the Rio Blancosub-basin which belongs to the Rio Papaloapan basin.1594th World Water ForumAction presented by:Raúl Hernández GarciadiegoAlternativas y Procesos de Participación Social A.C.Email: raulhernandez@alternativas.org.mxAction presented by:Juan Carlos Quijano TorresIngenio El Carmen S.A. de C.V.Email: incarmen@prodigy.net.mxAction: The Morelos Children Summit for the Environment (CIMMA for its Spanish acronyms)Problem: In the state of Morelos there was no alternative for elementary school students (6 to 12 years old) to put intopractice the water culture and environmental education projects.Activities performed:The environmental project of Morelos includes education and dissemination as a fundamental part to change the generationgap attitude regarding Water and Environment.The Morelos Chilof Morelos activities related to water catchment, desinfection and saving, management of organic and inorganic residues, start vegetable gardens (withcompost), and the separation of paper and cardboard.Results obtained: In the 2003 and 2004 processes, 800 teachers have been trained who have passed their knowledge to 200 thousand students. Inaddition, 300 environmental projects have been developed in the same number of school centers.In the 2004 eventexchange of experienceand adopting for their own community the environmental options required.Action presented by:Javier Bolaños AguilarComisión Estatal del Agua y Medio Ambiente (CEAMA)Gobierno del Estado de MorelosEmail: javier.bolanos@morelos.gob.mx