Abstract
AbstractOver the last decade, transboundary aquifers traversing the Mexico‐Texas border have generated growing interest of federal institutions on the Mexico side and state and federal institutions on the Texas side. Notwithstanding this, binational efforts to understand, assess, and manage shared groundwater resources remain limited and politically sensitive. On the Mexico side, long‐standing centralized groundwater governance structures have created institutional barriers at the local level to the expansion of knowledge and cooperation over these transboundary resources. On the Texas side, property rights related to groundwater resources limit the scope of options available for cooperative management of cross‐border aquifers. This paper examines stakeholders' perspectives on the borderland between Mexico and Texas through 44 surveys and personal interviews. Findings show that stakeholders appear to support a binational groundwater agreement as a means for assuring the sound long‐term management of transboundary groundwater resources in the border region; however, the majority of stakeholders also suggest that short‐term local or regional arrangements may be preferable over binational agreements as local/regional approaches may be more achievable or realistic. Second, participants identified leadership and individual personalities as key factors for success at the local level but noted that such influence had limited sustainability and limited regional‐systemic effects. Third, the stakeholders indicated that water quality, rather than water quantity, is the main driver of transboundary cooperation efforts in the region. Fourth, participants suggested that failures and successes in groundwater cooperation efforts are based more on fear and political lobbying than on understanding of scientific facts.
Highlights
Recent research has shown that between 50% and 60% of the area overlying the hydrogeological units shared between northeastern Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, and Tamaulipas) and Texas contains good aquifer potential with good water quality conditions (R. Sanchez et al, 2018b)
Findings show that stakeholders appear to support a binational groundwater agreement as a means for assuring the sound long‐term management of transboundary groundwater resources in the border region; the majority of stakeholders suggest that short‐term local or regional arrangements may be preferable over binational agreements as local/regional approaches may be more achievable or realistic
68% of the interviewees provided positive opinions of the following agreements: the Joint Report of the Principal Engineers Regarding Information Exchange and Mathematical Modeling in the El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua Area Aquifer (IBWC/CILA, 1997); data sharing and research initiatives undertaken by Arizona, USA, and Sonora, Mexico, for the San Pedro and Santa Cruz transboundary aquifers funded under the Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program (TAAP) (Callegary et al, 2016); and Minute 242 of the International Boundary and Water Commission, which addresses the Yuma Aquifer shared by Sonora, Arizona, and California (International Boundary Water Commission, 1973)
Summary
Recent research has shown that between 50% and 60% of the area overlying the hydrogeological units shared between northeastern Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, and Tamaulipas) and Texas contains good aquifer potential with good water quality conditions (R. Sanchez et al, 2018b). Recent research has shown that between 50% and 60% of the area overlying the hydrogeological units shared between northeastern Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, and Tamaulipas) and Texas contains good aquifer potential with good water quality conditions From the approximately 53 domestic and transboundary hydrogeological formations identified in the region (Figure 1), only four have received binational recognition and, funding and prioritization by both countries: the Mesilla/Conejos‐Medanos Aquifer, the Hueco‐Bolson/Valle de Juarez Aquifer, the Edwards Aquifer, and the Gulf Coast/BRB (Bajo Rio Bravo) Aquifer. The conceptualization of groundwater as an unseen and a potentially never‐ending resource, coupled with limited data and research, as well as other pressing border priorities (security and immigration) capturing the attention of the citizenry and governments, has resulted in an unsustainable situation for the region's transboundary groundwater resources
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
