ORIGEN


Restoring Watersheds for Ecosystems and Communities

The Project

The Restoring Watersheds for Ecosystems and Communities (ORIGEN) project seeks to generate multiple environmental and socioeconomic benefits by restoring degraded landscapes with a integrated watershed approach, strengthening planning, promoting local restoration actions, and financing mobilization. It will work in coastal watersheds in Chiapas, Jalisco, and Veracruz, as well as pilot projects in Guerrero, Nayarit, and Oaxaca.

ORIGEN is in the design process and is expected to be implemented in 2025-2030.

Context

The project will focus on restoring degraded areas and strengthening the value chains of species native to Mexico, such as vanilla and cocoa, in addition to promoting agroforestry and silvopastoral systems. High priority will be given to field actions that promise long-term environmental, economic, and social benefits. With a basin vision, the project will seek to promote restoration activities.

Additionally, the project will aim to scale lessons learned and complement existing interventions by key organizations and entities such as the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRICULTURA), as well as the governments of the states of Chiapas, Jalisco, and Veracruz. The project will build on the lessons learned from the C6, CONECTA, and RÍOS projects.

The lines of work that guide ORIGEN’s actions are:

  1. Restoration planning with a watershed approach. This component will support the development and/or strength of coordination mechanisms to serve as platforms that convene diverse stakeholders in planning processes to prioritize and guide conservation and restoration actions.
  2. Financing for the long-term sustainability of restoration. This component will work closely with stakeholders to develop and implement financing mechanisms that support the long-term implementation of restoration plans, including the promotion of access to new markets for producer groups and community enterprises (value-added products) and innovative funding sources for restoration.
  3. Restoration of degraded areas. This component will promote direct actions in productive and non-productive restoration by local initiatives through sub-projects. It also uses a Nature-based Solutions approach as a cost-effective measure to address climate change, land degradation, and biodiversity. It will focus on restoring ecosystem functions to enhance water availability, improve water quality, restore biodiversity, and reduce risks associated with climate change.
  4. Monitoring, evaluation, and knowledge management for scaling. This component will entail close coordination with multiple stakeholders to ensure project activities and results are appropriately monitored and evaluated and that knowledge management facilitates efficient information sharing at every project level. This will involve establishing an effective structure for project management, governance, and coordination, as well as monitoring and evaluation. It will also support learning communities (national and subnational) to facilitate knowledge exchange on restoration practices. 

ORIGEN will restore degraded landscapes with an integrated watershed approach in Chiapas, Jalisco, and Veracruz, and pilot watersheds in other states.

Achievements

Currently, ORIGEN is in the design phase and will be submitted for approval by the GEF Secretariat, with the expectation that it will begin operations in early 2025.

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Allies

Donors: 
  • Global Environment Facility
  • Conservation International- agency GEF
Partners: 
  • National Commission of Natural Protected Areas
  • Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

Environmental and Social Management System

For ORIGEN, FMCN will apply its Environmental and Social Management System (SGAS) to minimize potential environmental and social risks and maximize positive impacts on ecosystems and community well-being. To achieve this, the SGAS establishes the development of a Stakeholders Engagement Plan (PPPI); a Grievance Redress Mechanism at the project level (MAQ); a Participation Plan for Indigenous Peoples and Afro-Mexican Population (PPI), and a Gender Action Plan. These documents will be dynamic and adjusted according to lessons learned during project implementation for continuous improvement.