REIMAGINE THE TIJUANA RIVER

BY GUADALUPE RIVEMAR

Tijuana was born along the banks of a river, with tributaries of rich hot springs. We could say that the river is the backbone of the city, but in the minds of those of us who live in this corner of Mexico, when we hear about Rio Tijuana, most of us think of a shopping center or a drainage channel invaded by homeless people and drug addicts.

Antonieta Peregrina and Sergio Soto are the authors of the Tijuana River Initiative, a proposal that aims to articulate the work of environmental organizations, authorities, businessmen, academics and citizens, around a common vision: Revitalizing the Tijuana River.

Salad Bowl brings you the highlights of a talk with Antonieta and Sergio, as well as the Manifesto that results from the first sessions held with like-minded groups from both sides of the border, since this is a topic that is addressed from a binational perspective due to the discharges that flow into the Pacific, affecting the beach area in San Diego.

The invitation is open to all of us: reimagine the river and thus, reimagine Tijuana and San Diego as a region prepared to face the global challenges of the future.

For Sergio Soto, the Tijuana River is what gives rise to the city, along with the border and, to a lesser extent, the sea. “Although Tijuana is a coastal city, it does not turn towards the coast, so the city is born from the border and the river. And the river is now forgotten. It’s present because it is like a scar that crosses the city. In people’s imagination it does not exist as a river in itself, it exists as a channel, a drain, but the vision of a river is not present. This is exactly what Antonieta and I agree on.”

Antonieta Peregrina has defined herself as an environmentalist dedicated to the issue of sustainability for more than fifteen years. She has extensive experience in topics such as organic production, fair trade, mobility and recycling; but the topic of water and rivers is her passion. It began with the regeneration of the Atoyac River in Puebla, and later in the Piedad River. This path led her to turn around to see the Tijuana river: “Sergio and I meet from our different specialties, I work with the themes of healthy cities; living rivers to generate more humane and more accessible public spaces.”

Antonieta was invited in 2020 to offer a lecture -for the Association of Engineers- on the La Piedad River aqueduct project, an example of green infrastructure and how wetlands can contribute to creating aquatic spaces that can generate water bodies in the cities. Afterwards, Hernando Duran, Tijuana Verde-Agora Green coordinator, invited her to give a themed presentation about the Tijuana River in order to work together and generate alliances.

SEARCH FOR ALLIANCES

“I find that there are many people doing very valuable things for the river, but society generally does not agree on what vision it wants for that river and, if there is no shared vision, how can we transform something? Representatives of Non Profit Organizatios attended that presentation and from there, they thought of building a common vision. Environmentalists are very clear about the issue. Still, society is made up of a multiplicity of actors. Hence, it is important to open this conversation to reach an agreement and that everyone pulls to the same side: government, businessmen, and those who are already working on the issue.”

What would a concrete proposal for this rescue of the river be? Sergio clarifies: “In general, what we are looking for is a revitalized Tijuana River that is a natural and cultural heritage, not only of the city, but binational. Also, for it to be an environmental and mobility axis because it is the city’s backbone in many ways. It would be ideal if the Tijuana River could become a destination, like in many other cities, for recreation and social coexistence, so it can lead us to reconnect with nature. So it can contribute in the improvement of the quality of life of both Tijuana and San Diego.”

SOCIALIZING THE INITIATIVE

To advance in the socialization of this initiative, a Pechakucha was organized with the question: How do we imagine the Tijuana River? In this exercise, the participating organizations expressed their desire to be part of this movement, and each one contributing towards the systematic regeneration of the river; a Manifesto was also drafted where everyone agrees on the will to work towards the same goal. Likewise, the constitution of a Civil Association is currently in process in order to open the possibility of obtaining funds and advancing towards the objectives, among which the opening of a web page is considered. Although they do not yet have an operating budget, this is not an impediment for the team to continue working.

There are several references to cases of transformation of rivers in Mexico and in other countries. In California, for example, a Master Plan for the revitalization of the river in the city of Los Angeles is already underway. This river shares characteristics with the Tijuana river since it was cemented and became a drainage channel. As in Tijuana, this channel has provided spaces for homeless people. The LA River Master Plan will take decades and contemplates several stages, for now, some segments already have recreational infrastructures and green spaces.

HOW TO START IN TIJUANA?

“With the issue of waste. We know that during the rainy season, the Tijuana River carries all kinds of waste and, if we want to think of the idea of ​a river that comes back to life, we have to eliminate all that waste that ends up in the river; that tells us that we have to work not in the river, but outside of it. The basin is huge, what is visible is channeled, but that is only part of it. The basin is made up of 27 micro-basins that make up this water body; there is also the Álamo canyon and the Kumiai communities where the UABC monitors the stones’ movement. They are all part of the same basin, it is necessary to articulate the organizations that are working at different points because it’s not only the channel but a whole comprehensive vision. That is why we must find a holistic solution, there is not a single answer, there are many elements for which effective solutions must be sought.”

In this process of socializing the Rio Tijuana initiative, Sergio Soto and Antonieta Peregrina propose a paradigm shift that implies stop seeing the Tijuana River as a drainage channel, and beginning to see it as a new river: “For that, we need every Tijuana resident to act differently because, the solution is definitely not the cement. We must rethink the solutions that involve the entire basin. When we talk about the river, we think of the Tijuana river urban area, the canal, or a shopping center; and that is why it is important to open these conversations. We must understand that the water security of Tijuana is at stake because we are importing water from another basin, instead, if we bet on water regeneration, we could revive the ecosystem, that is the dream.”

Sergio Carlos Soto Cisneros studied architecture at the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Studies, with a master’s degree in Urban and Territorial Development from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Spain.

I have always sought to contribute, using my profession, to improve my city. And based on multiple reflections, I find that the river is the backbone of Tijuana.

Antonieta Peregrina has a degree in International Commerce, specializing in environmental management in Latin America. She has a master’s degree in Urban Planning, Sustainability and Climate Change from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia in Barcelona.

Tijuana is connected to a supposed river that should be alive, but in reality what we have is sewage that is exported to the United States and reaches the Pacific.