Strategies for Reducing and
Preventing Disasters in
Ciudad Acuna, Coahuila

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U.S. - Mexico
Border Program

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January 2021

Texas/New Mexico/Chihuahua/Coahuila/Nuevo Leon/Tarnaulipas
www.epa.gov/usmexicoborder

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The Universidad Carolina received Border 2020
Program funding to work with the municipality
of Ciudad Acuna, Coahuila to develop a
comprehensive Green Infrastructure (Gl)
Masterplan to help reduce flooding within the
urban area. Over the years, increased flooding
has not only affected infrastructure but led to
increased pollution in existing rivers and water
bodies due to sedimentation or sewage
overflows, as well as, affected public health.
By increasing the incorporation of Gl elements
throughout the city, the project helped to also
raise awareness to the natural ecosystems in
this region but more importantly improve
public health and the urban environment.

The project team developed three major
documents as part of the project:

•	Green Infrastructure Master Plan for
Ciudad Acuna

•	Green Infrastructure Guide for
Communities within the Chihuahua
Desert

•	Facilitator Manual for Educational
Workshops on Green Infrastructure
Strategies: Reducing and Preventing
Disasters in Ciudad Acuna, Coahuila

As part of the project, a total of 46 participants (6
staff members from the Municipality of Ciudad
Acuna, 15 community leaders throughout the city
and 25 university students), were trained in three
train-the-trainer workshops (Figure 1). These 46
newly trained facilitators then conducted an
additional six educational public workshops and
six train-the-trainer workshops in the fall and
spring of 2018-2019.

Figure 1. Participants at one of the train-the-trainer
workshops.

A total of 120 participants attended the
workshops. Those participants that attended the
train-the-trainer workshops were tasked to
continue to do additional training within their
community to educate on green infrastructure
elements in the community (which was beyond
the scope of this funded project).

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Strategies for Reducing and
Preventing Disasters in Ciudad
Acuna, Coahuila

Page 2

Iri one of the educational public workshops,
attendees were able to participate in developing a
small Gl project in their community (Figure 2).

With the development and the adoption of the Gl
Masterplan, city leaders hoped to use more of the
natural environment to address flooding issues and
reduce the risk associated with stormwater and
wastewater overflows. The Gl Guide developed will
also serve as a great tool for 32 of the 38 other
municipalities located within the state of Coahuila
who lie in the same desert and ecosystem as Cd.
Acuha.

For a copy of any of these publications please
contact: Briselda Duarte (bduarte@nadb.org) with
the North American Development or Maria Sisneros
(sisneros.maria@epa.gov) at EPA Region 6 Border
Office.

Figure 2. Public Education Workshop on Gl. Participants developed a small CI project.

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