The water that supplies more than 1.5 million people in the provincial capital and numerous towns in the center of the territory comes from the Sierras of Córdoba. High-altitude meadows, native forests and mountain soils fulfill a key function there: they act like a sponge that catches, infiltrates, stores the water from summer rain and slowly releases it again throughout the year.
However, fires, exotic species invasions and livestock overgrazing have compromised this natural ability to regulate water in a context characterized by climate change and recurrent droughts. Added to these factors are fluctuations in rainfall, expanding urbanization, environmental pollution and climate change, which expose the region to increasing water shortages, especially in the dry season (winter-spring).
Taking these circumstances into account, a nature-based solutions (NbS) project was implemented over three years in the upper reaches of the first (Suquía) and second (Xanaes) catchments, aiming to regenerate mountain ecosystems to ensure long-term water supplies.
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Based on Conicet studies that identified the priority areas where water is produced to supply the population, the project carries out conservation, restoration and sustainable management activities so that the mountains continue to act as a “natural water tank”.
The initiative, called “Allies for Water”, brings together more than 15 public, private, scientific and civil society institutions, including universities, protected areas, private reserves, rural producers, forestry brigades and specialized technical organizations.
Javier García Espil from Cicla Desarrollo Sustentable – an organization specializing in nature-based solutions and sustainability strategies that leads the project – told PERFIL: “We want to improve the ability of ecosystems to respond to water challenges. Experience confirms that it is possible to scale these actions and achieve positive results in the water system, with additional benefits in terms of biodiversity, climate resilience and the creation of green jobs.”
Activities in the area include restoring native Tabaquillo forests, combating invasive exotic species with high water demands, regenerative management of grasslands, fire prevention and restoration of eroded soils. These measures ultimately allow us to reduce surface runoff, increase infiltration and maintain dry season flows, even in the context of climate change.
The results are already visible: more than 10,000 hectares are under restoration, conservation or sustainable management; 50,000 native trees were planted in critical areas; 5,000 hectares are being converted towards regenerative livestock farming systems and areas where invasive species have been removed have seen up to 20% additional retained water.
The project is supported by Coca-Cola Argentina and its partner Coca-Cola Andina within the framework of a corporate plan for the protection and replenishment of water resources, formulated with local actors and scientists.
In this sense, Silvina Bianco, the company’s sustainability director for Argentina and Uruguay, emphasized that “Water is at the heart of our communities. In Córdoba we show that collaboration between sectors can ensure climate resilience and water security for the future.”
Collaborative management. One of the unique features of the initiative is its approach to collaborative territorial management, in which mountain communities and local residents play a central role.
In this way, producers, park rangers, brigade members, community organizations and private reserves actively participate in the design and implementation of the actions. They offer knowledge of the territory, long-term commitment and daily management capacity. The project is not just about nature conservation, but rather about a responsible approach to the landscape that strengthens rural roots and creates new opportunities for local development.
José Luis Amuchastegui, director of the Valle de Los Lisos Natural Reserve, one of the areas where the project’s actions will be implemented, noted: “For those of us who live in the mountains, restoring these environments is not just an environmental issue, but a bet for the future. Protecting the water, the landscape and biodiversity allows us to responsibly attract visitors and create economic opportunities that strengthen local roots.”
In a scenario of global environmental and climate crisis, such initiatives focus on collaboration and the power of nature to create well-being and resilience. The restoration of Córdoba’s mountains is thus cemented as an effective, sustainable and long-term response to protect the water sources on which millions of people depend, and as an inspiring path to extending these solutions to many other regions of the country.
Results
◆ About 10,000 hectares are currently being restored.
◆ About 50,000 native trees were planted in critical areas.
◆ Approximately 5,000 hectares are earmarked for a regenerative livestock farming program.
◆ Invasive vegetation was removed and 20% more retained water was recorded.
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