A once barren gully on a hillside above one of Mexico’s biggest cities, the kilometer-square patch of land named El Pedregal has been transformed into an oasis of biodiversity and life.

Thanks to the Aguaxaca project which has changed the way its landscape has been engineered to manage rainwater.

The rapid and unplanned urbanization of Oaxaca’s central valleys has made rainwater flow quickly on the surface, causing flooding and washing away valuable topsoil.

The Aguaxaca project aims to slow down the water flow through natural creeks and reservoirs and filter it back into the earth, refilling aquifers and giving the population a reliable source of water.

CGTN’s Alasdair Baverstock reports.