Often centralized water supply, sanitation and solid waste services struggle to keep up with the rapid expansion of urban areas. The peri-urban areas are at the forefront of this expansion and it is here where decentralized technologies are increasingly being implemented. The introduction of decentralized technologies allows for the development of new opportunities that enable the recovery and reuse of resources in the form of water, nutrients and energy. This resource-oriented management of water, nutrients and energy requires a sustainable system aimed at low resource use and high recovery and reuse rates. Instead of investigating each sector separately, as has been traditionally done, this article proposes and discusses a concept that seeks to combine the in- and outflows of the different sectors, reusing water and other liberated resources where possible. This paper shows and demonstrates examples of different types of sustainable technologies that can be implemented in the peri-urban areas of Mexico City [rainwater harvesting, EcoSan and biofiltros (small constructed wetlands), and (vermi-)composting]. An innovative participatory planning method, combining scenario development with a participatory planning workshop with key stakeholders, was applied and resulted in three concept scenarios. Specific technologies were then selected for each concept scenario that the technical feasibility and applicability was assessed. Following this, the resulting resource flows (nutrients, water and energy) were determined and analyzed. The results show that decentralized technologies not only have the potential to deliver adequate water supply, sanitation and solid waste services in peri-urban areas and lessen environmental pollution, but also can recover significant amounts of resources thereby saving costs and providing valuable inputs in, for instance, the agricultural sector. Social acceptance of the technologies and institutional cooperation, however, is key for successful implementation.

The chinampa, a sustainable high efficient agrohydrologic system for shallow lacustrine or wetland areas, was invented by pre-Hispanic culture 3,000 years ago. The chinampa in the Valley of Mexico has been a sustainable and successful practice from the 15th century until now. This heritage and its continuity are now in the hands of the chinamperos (local farmers) of the Xochimilco–Chalco watershed south-east of the capital city of Mexico. The chinampa, consists of building layers of vegetation and sludge to produce organic soil 50 cm above the water level for agricultural use in wetlands. These layers form rectangles or plots 5–10 m wide by 50, 100 or more meters long, surrounded by water. When a significant number of chinampas are built, these form a network with small channels between each chinampa, and other broader channels which provide navigation routes. The chinampa is secured by trees called ahuejotes, whose roots hold soil, planted on the sides of the plot. Despite urban pressures, this paper demonstrates the relevance of the permanence of this system as a high efficient agrohydrologic system in balance with the ecosystem and which should also be regarded as a model to be transferred to other regions with similar conditions.

There is one mistake in this article [1]. On page 753, line 12, the phrase “(application load of 80 tons/ha)” should be “(application load of 80 kg/ha)”.