Abstract
There is growing concern about the sustainability of groundwater supplies worldwide. In many regions, desalination—the conversion of saline water to freshwater—is viewed as a way to increase water supplies and reduce pressure on overdrawn aquifers. Using data from reports, articles, interviews, a survey, and a focus group, this paper examines if, and how, the adoption of desalination technology can lead to aquifer preservation in Baja California Sur (BCS), Mexico. The paper outlines existing institutional arrangements (i.e., laws, rules, norms, or organizations) surrounding desalination in BCS and concludes that there are currently no effective mechanisms to ensure aquifer preservation. Four mechanisms that could be implemented to improve groundwater management are identified, including: 1) integrated water-and land-use planning; 2) creation of an institute responsible for coordinated and consistent planning; 3) improved groundwater monitoring; and 4) implementation of water conservation measures prior to the adoption of desalination technology. This paper concludes that viewing water technologies, including desalination, as sociotechnical systems—i.e., a set of technological components that are embedded in complex social, political, and economic contexts—has the potential to create a more sustainable human–environment–technology relationship. By assessing desalination technology as a sociotechnical system, this study highlights the need to focus on institutional development and capacity building, especially within local water utilities and urban planning agencies.
Highlights
There is growing concern about the sustainability of the world’s groundwater resources
If the adoption of desalination technology is to lead to aquifer preservation, I argue that desalination must be viewed as a sociotechnical system—i.e., a set of technological components that are embedded in complex social, political, and economic contexts [4,5]
There has been little institutional development associated with the adoption of desalination technology in Mexico
Summary
There is growing concern about the sustainability of the world’s groundwater resources. Recent research using NASA’s GRACE satellites found that about one-third of the world’s largest aquifers are being depleted [1]. There is concern that surplus water will aid further urban and industrial growth, rather than conservation and aquifer preservation [2,3]. The term aquifer preservation is used to describe a situation in which the rate of groundwater extracted from an overdrawn aquifer is reduced to prevent further aquifer depletion, reduce the possibility of land subsidence, and/or reduce the risk of saline intrusion. If the adoption of desalination technology is to lead to aquifer preservation, I argue that desalination must be viewed as a sociotechnical system—i.e., a set of technological components that are embedded in complex social, political, and economic contexts [4,5]. Using a case study of water planning in the arid state of
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