Adapting Wetland Restoration Practices in Urban Areas: Perspectives from Xochimilco in Mexico City

Urban wetland restoration can be effectively achieved through multi-disciplinary approaches that address socio-ecosystem dynamics, potentially creating positive feedback loops to enhance ecosystem resilience. A case study from Xochimilco, Mexico City, demonstrates how the 'Chinampa-Refuge' project—centered on agriculture and axolotl conservation—disrupts a negative feedback loop of water pollution leading to agricultural abandonment and urban encroachment. By establishing aquatic refuges that improve water quality, the project benefits both native species like Ambystoma mexicanum (the axolotl) and local crops, incentivizing further refuge creation and systemic improvement.

Zambrano, L., Rivas, M. I., Uriel-Sumano, C., Rojas-Villaseñor, R., Rubio, M., Mena, H., Vázquez-Mendoza, D. L., & Tovar-Garza, A. (2020). Adapting Wetland Restoration Practices in Urban Areas: Perspectives from Xochimilco in Mexico City. Ecological Restoration, 38(2), 114–123. https://doi.org/10.3368/er.38.2.114