What's CONAZA?

The National Commission of Arid Zones (CONAZA) is a decentralized public institution of the Federal Government and it is a sector of the ministry of agriculture,Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA). CONAZA was created by presidential decree, by December 5^th 1970, as an encouraging institution for the development of arid and underprivileged zones of Mexico, with its own legal personality and patrimony.

Mission

Serve as the specializing technical institution to support SAGARPA in the planning, operation, and directing the policies and programs aim to promote the development of the arid zones of Mexico through the use, management of soil and water conservation, and vegetation cover, with a preventive and productive focus.

Vision

Be the leadingnbsp;and innovative institution promoting the development of the arid zones of Mexico through the use, management and soil and water conservation and vegetation cover.

Evolution of CONAZA

Among the main initial attributions, one was to ascertain the arid zones of the country and to study them in terms of their main economic activities, to promote and coordinate the approved policies and programs developed for the arid zones among other Official Institutions, as well as, to improve the organization of the regional and sectorial producers and their participation within the Governmental development programs.

The original Act of decree was added, by December 1^st 1971, and CONAZA was now able mainly to integrate its own patrimony and to freely make all the necessary arrangements to promote, hire and regulations for its personnel(staff); by April 9^th 1973, other addition was made and include now among its attributions, the capacity to determine the methods to utilize, industrialize and commercialize the resources and products from the arid zones.

CONAZA was sector of the former ministry of agriculture and hydraulic resources (SARH) from 1984 to 1992 and during that period, the main activities were conducted to create the necessary infrastructure for agriculture and animal production.

Through other Presidential Decree by October 21^st 1987, the Agency (PROMAN) in charge of promoting the cultivation of Nopal (prickly pear) and Maguey (another multiple-use endemic desert plant) was unified to CONAZA, thus expanding its attributions by promoting these plant species.

At the end of 1992, CONAZA was Sector of the Ministry for Social Development increasing its responsibilities by the attendance of the most underprivileged Rural Communities in the arid zones, this within the main objectives to overcome poverty.

Since October of 2004, CONAZA is Sector and is coordinated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA).

What else does CONAZA do?

Since 2004 by the instructions of SAGARPA, CONAZA expanded its influence area to other regions affected by bad weather events trough comprehensive projects to restore the productivity level the producers had before these events, and to promote practices for soil conservation and rainfall harvesting.

CONAZA Projects

COUSSA: Conservation and Sustainable Use of Soil and Water

PESA: Strategical Program for Food Safety

POH: Construction of Small Water harvesting and retention Structures

PRODEZA: Project for the Holistic Development of Arid Zone