2026 Reports

Building Resilience from Below: Grassroots Environmentalism and Community-led Climate Strategies in San Miguel Teotongo, Mexico City

Ferlicca, Francesca; Isabel González, Ana; Fausto Gutiérrez, José Luis; Gómez, Leislie; Flores, Marco A.; Martínez, Carlos A.

This case study documents five decades of community-led climate action in San Miguel Teotongo, a self-produced popular neighborhood in Iztapalapa, Mexico City. Home to 65,424 inhabitants across 311 hectares, the community has developed an exemplary model of grassroots climate resilience through organized collective action since the 1970s. The Union of Colonists of San Miguel Teotongo (UCSMT), established in 1975, has coordinated democratic territorial planning through weekly assemblies and a Council of Delegates, evolving from basic infrastructure demands to comprehensive climate solutions. The community's approach demonstrates four distinct phases: initial territory organization (1970s), strengthening through social movements (1982-1987), formalization of ecological planning (1992), and contemporary climate-focused initiatives (2019-present). Key climate interventions include: a 4-hectare ecological park featuring endemic flora conservation, environmental education, and rainwater infiltration systems; urban agriculture networks spanning 10 neighborhoods with rooftop prickly pear cultivation involving 300 households; promotion of absorption wells and permeable courtyards for stormwater management; and sustainable construction practices through an eco-house demonstration project. These initiatives address climate mitigation and adaptation while providing food security, economic opportunities, and environmental education. Located adjacent to the Natural Protected Area of Sierra de Santa Catarina, the community balances urban development with ecosystem conservation. Their 1992 recognition as a Special Zone of Controlled Development (ZEDEC) formalized community-proposed land use planning that prioritizes green spaces and collective infrastructure over housing density. This experience aligns with IPCC recommendations for community-based climate action, demonstrating how grassroots organizing can generate sustained climate solutions while strengthening democratic participation and social justice. The case offers replicable methodologies for integrating climate action with community development in urban peripheries across the Global South.

Keywords: community-led climate action; participatory planning; urban agriculture; water management; climate resilience