Grupo Comunidades Sustentables, is LegacyWorks’ team working towards a new model of coastal development in Baja California Sur's Cabo del Este region. We seek to catalyze an economy and society that protects and conserves terrestrial and marine ecosystems by building on the region's significant rural values and community leadership. We are working with many local and international partners to help the community protect their unique and valuable ecosystems, build local leadership capacity and create aligned economic development opportunities. Collaboration is at the forefront of our work in the East Cape. Our core method relies on building trust, creating a shared vision, identifying impact opportunities, resourcing catalytic collaborations, scaling up, and stewarding the virtuous cycle that results. We learned that the power of collaboration exponentially advances causes, especially when we identify and empower the right leaders. We are leveraging these relationships wherever we can along the East Cape. Our on the ground projects fall into the following categories:

We work with five core strategies to achieve our long-term goals:

1. Fostering Shared Vision and Collaborative Leadership 

2. Broadening and deepening the Knowledge Base for education and change

3. Employing Community and Business Models that demonstrate regenerative practices and contribute to sustainable economies

4. Deploying full spectrum Financial Capital to test innovation and power entrepreneurism

5. Informing and reforming the Public Policy that supports sustainable development

Wildlife and Biodiversity

The Sea of Cortez, or Gulf of California, is an evolutionary laboratory. Bordered by its spine, the Baja California Peninsula, it is among the planet’s richest seascapes, with over 1000 species of marine creatures. The biogeography of the southern peninsula as a whole is unique. The juxtaposition of richly bedecked mountains that capture and store pacific moisture, dissected arroyo plains carved by eons of rushing storm waters and the source of marine nutrients and sand for the region’s glorious beaches, have attracted multiple waves of settlers - first Indians, then colonizers, then ranchers, miners and fishers. Over the last 60 years its natural bounty and its proximity to North America have led to a new wave - a burgeoning tourism economy. Each wave has had its winners and losers. Our collective challenge is to protect and restore what is unique and vital to the survival of all life forms, human and wild, while enabling a new brand of economic and social prosperity to evolve with nature.

Water

Water is the most limiting factor in the Cabo del Este region, and the highest leverage point for achieving a sustainable development policy. As a result of our research, we know water availability is a deep concern that could lead to dry wells or drastic limitations for human consumption in the coming decades.  We also know that we must collectively - developers, citizens, government, non-profits, agriculture and other interested parties - improve our knowledge and monitoring of the system in order to improve management. We seek to catalyze a culture of water knowledge, shared vision, and analyzed tools and methods for fairly and effectively allocating and conserving this precious resource. 

Climate and Air

Baja California Sur could become the example of clean energy generation for Mexico. It has among the highest wind and solar resources in the country yet depends almost entirely upon expensive, imported and unhealthy bunker fuel. The impacts of poor air quality on human health and marine resources require urgent attention. LegacyWorks Group supports programs to bring air quality and clean energy solutions to the region for a clean and climate friendly energy economy.

Regenerative Economies

Until COVID-19 Baja California Sur has been the fastest growing economy in Mexico. Population has increased due to rapid tourism development, especially in Cabo del Este. Development projects can tax air, water, soil, energy, waste management and space resources, while eroding the very natural values they depend on. Alternatively, they can provide important economic opportunities for local communities if done right. If we can enable better development practices (both in public policy and private investment choices) we can prove that land and ocean stewardship can be more sustainably prosperous than contemporary patterns.