The Global Covenant of Mayors operates on two central pillars: mitigating the effects of climate change and adapting to these changes. Actions are carried out by local governments worldwide, with over 500 cities in Latin America voluntarily committed to tackling the climate crisis. On the 24th, during the second session of the “Green Recovery in Latin America” event, successful cases of green and healthy Latin American cities were presented.
La Unión, Costa Rica: The first case comes from the La Unión Canton in Costa Rica. Mayor Cristian Torres and Environmental Unit Manager Katherine Quirós spoke on the topic. La Unión has been working based on its “Cantonal Action Plan for Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change.” Among the ongoing actions are highlighted organic waste management through composting, collaboration with educational centers, farmer’s markets, at the household and communal levels, as well as municipal parks. Food security is another initiative of the Canton. The urban or community gardens project, installed in parks and educational centers, contributes to the healthy nutrition of students and the local population. Protection of the water system is also a concern. Wastewater management has sought to solve the problem of water system contamination with the installation of bio-gardens, acting as a natural filter, preventing impurities from reaching the rivers. From a watershed management perspective, La Unión believes that water resources should not be considered only within the territorial limits of the Canton but throughout the surrounding environment. In this regard, policies have also been developed to protect water sources. With the pilot project “Fog Catcher Systems,” the mist from the highest points of La Unión is captured through meshes, and the obtained liquid is stored. According to Katherine, the experience “has allowed us to consider it as an alternative action to reduce pressure on water sources” because the stored water is distributed to local producers afterward.
Santiago de Chile, Chile: Sustainable mobility was the topic of the presentation on Santiago de Chile. Deputy Director of the Environment, Isabel Aguilera, highlighted the strong network and collaborative work, focusing on environmental education for citizens. “We understand that the concept of sustainable mobility is embedded within a framework of good environmental practices. Within this concept, Santiago has been widely recognized internationally for its strong investment in electromobility,” emphasized Isabel Aguilera. Santiago de Chile’s ambitious mobility plan values pedestrians and gives priority to alternative means of transportation. In this regard, pedestrians benefit from the incorporation of art and architecture to create a positive experience of walking through the city. In terms of electromobility, the Chilean capital has received strong support from buses traveling through the metropolitan region. All public transport networks, the metro, and cycle paths are the nerve center of the city. In the past year, there were 120 kilometers of interventions that benefited mobility, including an increase in the cycle path and its integration into the metropolitan network and a substantial reduction in parking spaces to discourage vehicle use.
Serra Talhada, Brazil: The municipality of Serra Talhada, Brazil, was represented by Mayor Marcia Conrado, who presented advances in energy transition, green recovery, and selective waste collection. The mayor highlighted the municipality’s goals for 2021, including the creation of a Municipal Conservation Unit for Serra Talhada, named after the city, the establishment of solar energy sources to serve public spaces and buildings, and the development of the municipality’s Climate Action Plan. To learn more about Serra Talhada’s efforts in energy transition, read the article [Energy for Change: Serra Talhada Joins the Global Fight Against Climate Change](link to the article).
Maggiolo, Argentina: Food security is the experience of the municipality of Maggiolo, Argentina. Mayor Luis Ángel Valerio presented the “Healthy Maggiolo” project, which promotes good nutrition for citizens. The project originated from the severe crisis caused by floods that affected the municipality in 2015, 2016, and 2017. These episodes resulted in social, health, and economic problems. Reflecting on the faced issues sought ways to improve citizens’ quality of life, involving processes of listening, citizen participation, educational strategies and projects, inter-area relations, and a group of volunteers. Faced with the situation, the “Maggiolo toward food security” working network was created. The network operates on six basic points: legislation and ordinances, rationing and nutritional control, resources and infrastructure for production, meetings, workshops, and campaigns, and technical advice and training. “The first sovereignty is to organize ourselves on our land to produce our own food,” highlighted Mayor Valerio in his presentation. During his exposition, he reaffirmed his interest in continuing to work together with various actors from the Covenant network to bring a better quality of life to all citizens in Latin America.
Medellín, Colombia: Regarding air quality and public health, Medellín’s Secretary of the Environment, Diana María Montoya, spoke. She explained that the first steps for the Air Quality Pact project were the identification of polluting sources. It has been found that mobile vehicles are the main generators of atmospheric pollutants (91%), while industrial emissions represent only 9% of Medellín’s total emissions. The project started in 2018, and currently, 150 entities have individually assumed measurable and verifiable commitments to positively contribute to improving air quality in Medellín and the metropolitan region. “With the Air Quality Pact, we seek support from public and private actors through strategies that really aim to improve air quality,” emphasized Montoya.
