Coordinating efforts to strengthen water security in Tabasco, Mexico.

The UNESCO and the Government of Tabasco established the Advisory Committee for the Water Security Plan of the Mezcalapa–Samaria Sub-basin.

UNESCO and the Government of Tabasco established the Advisory Committee for the Water Security Plan for the Mezcalapa–Samaria Sub-basin on January 27 to strengthen water security and climate change adaptation in seven municipalities of Tabasco, Mexico. The Committee will support the implementation of the Plan developed with the UNESCO scientific guidance and a comprehensive approach.

The Committee is a structured platform for dialogue, coordination, and advisory support to integrate, monitor, and promote the Water Security Plan, to strengthen community resilience to the impacts of flooding.

The Advisory Committee will promote the implementation of high-priority actions for the region, including modelling to improve the Early Warning System in collaboration with journalists and media outlets; establishing comprehensive emergency response protocols; strengthening the capacities of public officials and inhabitants who experience recurrent flooding; and developing outreach and public participation strategies such as a Virtual Water Museum.

Andrés Morales, UNESCO Representative to Mexico, noted that the launch of the Committee reaffirms the commitment to communities facing climate and environmental challenges, as it will enable the identification of synergies, the sharing of lessons learned, and the generation of technical and governance recommendations to strengthen the Water Security Plan.

The Plan aims to benefit populations in the Sub-basin area that are exposed to frequent flooding—particularly over 25,000 people living along the banks of the Samaria River—making it necessary to improve coordination among the actors involved in managing hydrometeorological risk. The instrument is developed under UNESCO’s guidance and with technical input from the Regional Centre for Water Security (CERSHI), a Category 2 Centre under the auspices of UNESCO, based in Mexico.

UNESCO and CERSHI serve as the Technical Secretariat of the advisory body, composed of representatives from the federal and state governments, academic and research institutions, civil society organizations, the private sector, and international cooperation agencies.

Since 2023, UNESCO in Mexico has been implementing a comprehensive programme —made possible with the support of ENI Mexico—to strengthen resilience and sustainable development in Tabasco. The program involves state and federal institutions, the private sector, academia, and communities.