Community Resilience of the Estuary is governed by three principles and through eight actions.
Principle 1. Each resident is the central focus of the planning and implementation of sustainable development and transformations, as defined by themselves.
- Action 1.1: The San Juan Bay Estuary has a Community Water Network. This network is constantly evolving through an infrastructure development process that includes leadership training workshops and the involvement of all residents of different ages in the planning and implementation process.
Principle 2. The integration of different sectors in every sustainable development and transformation process to improve communication between these sectors, facilitating socio-economic development and achieving efficiencies when executing actions aimed at responding to established needs.
- Action 2.1. The San Juan Bay Estuary promotes the development of Community Benefit Agreements. These agreements are specifically designed for a collaborative project in each community. They incorporate the perspectives, opinions, and preferences of the region's residents into resilience plans, as well as into proposed developments in these areas. Page 2 Estuary Community Resilience
- Action 2.2. Resilience Plans by Sub-basin. The San Juan Bay Estuary manages its action plan taking into account the water resources of its watershed. The Resilience Plans by Sub-basin provide a profile of the public health, social, economic, and environmental aspects of each sub-basin.
Principle 3. The comprehensive management of the various elements that define a community. Five of these elements have been selected for Resilient Communities: art and culture, education, health, economic development, and green spaces.
- Action 3.1 Creativity & Culture. Culture serves as a driving force in the generation and implementation of ideas and projects aimed at building the resilience of the San Juan Bay Estuary system. Resilient artists support the empowerment process alongside scientists specializing in water quality. Sustainable development in resilient communities is guided by cultural and artistic activities.
- Action 3.2 Education. The Estuary transforms traditional education into project-based learning. Its initiatives support children, youth, and adults through Estuary Guardians, Inter-School Committees, and Citizen Science Certification.
- Action 3.3: Health. Access to healthcare with a preventive approach ensures social and community health, as well as individual health. The Estuary coordinates the training of Health Promoters in the Estuary watershed. Health Promoters serve as a link between the community and the social and health services offered by municipal and local governments, as well as by private entities.
- Action 3.4: Economic Empowerment. The ability of estuary residents to focus on the common good depends largely on their economic stability and their ability to cover their own expenses. The Estuary provides opportunities for retraining through its “Green Jobs, Green Estuary” program. In collaboration with academic institutions, the Citizen Scientist Certification is offered, equivalent to academic credits.
- Action 3.5: Green Areas. Community resilience preserves open spaces for passive recreation, cultivation, and spiritual relaxation, as defined by residents. Among the initiatives undertaken by Estuary in this direction are ViveroEstuario® and HuertoEstuario®.
