Sustainable Municipal Planning in Maruata, Mexico: Building Capacity in Indigenous Communities

Sustainable Municipal Planning in Maruata, Mexico: Building Capacity in Indigenous Communities

United States   Mexico

Received C$ 40000 in 2003

The Pomaro indigenous community in Maruata, Michoacán, like many small, low-income communities in North America, is faced with municipal planning choices that will have profound influences on its development and the health of its residents. Maruata is poised to grow considerably, as construction of a deep well, the installation of piped water, and the development of its first tourism facilities are in progress. It is critical to build local capacity to monitor changes as development proceeds and respond to health and environmental needs with infrastructure and policy changes. The challenge is to build local capacity to understand what the choices are, which are in the communities' best interest, and how to implement them. In collaboration with the the Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH), the community will develop its capacity for monitoring and assessing the watershed, freshwater sources, water delivery systems, water quality, human and animal excreta management, wastewater management, and community health conditions with the premise that an understanding of the current status of water and waste management and how best to monitor their status will help people determine which community-level interventions will make a difference in public health and environmental protection. Boston University, School of Public Health (BUSPH) Boston, Massachusett, United States http://www.bumc.bu.edu/sph/index.htm For more information about this grant, please contact the CEC Secretariat.