The project addresses the importance of solving the issue of poverty in these communities to contribute to conserving a region that comprises two of the largest Biosphere Reserves in Mexico, the Upper Gulf of California and Colorado River Delta Biosphere Reserve and El Pinacate and Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve, recognized for their biodiversity and ecosystems and for protecting critical breeding, nursery and feeding habitats and various fisheries.

We are experiencing challenging times that require creative and feasible solutions for our daily survival. The Desierto de Altar provides communities with a no-cost highly available solar energy source all year long that can help reduce family expenses and increase and diversify their income.

In the first phase of the project our target communities include Golfo de Santa Clara and Puerto Peñasco, both in Sonora. These two communities were born as small fishing camps, and artisanal fishing is still their main economic activity along with tourism. In 2017, these communities were declared as urban Priority Attention Zones (PAZ) classifying them as Very Highly or Highly Marginalized, or with a High Social Gap by the Mexican Ministry of Social Development (SEDESOL). The coastal fishing sector and their families are the most vulnerable in both localities.

This project aims to improve and diversify these communities’ economy by reducing expenses for using fossil and wood fuels and providing added value through the use of solar thermal energy to cook and dehydrate fishery and agricultural products. To achieve this goal we will: i) evaluate the designs of the most effective parabolic solar cookers and dehydrators, ii) train the members of the communities in the use and benefits of solar energy for cooking and dehydration; iii) establish spaces with solar cookers in the town’s common areas and; iv) design a communication strategy to effectively communicate the uses and benefits of solar energy and the progress we make with the project.

The impact we hope to achieve is to put in place a process to reduce poverty by using solar energy to curtail energy dependence and diversify the economic activities of the coastal communities of the Northern Gulf of California. Our project will help improve family income by reducing expenses for fossil and wood fuels while generating a culture of clean energy use and awaken the region’s interest to replicate these activities in other neighboring communities. In addition, we will contribute to mitigate climate change and biodiversity loss.