Perception and prevention of groundwater collapse in agricultural communities of similar socioeconomic profile: Synthesizing the case of Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico and Magdalena, New México

Abstract

Agriculture exemplifies human dependence on water and lack of adequate management. Puerto Rico is no exception. Although the agricultural sector is expanding to address food security, little consideration exists of how water scarcity impacts future production. We studied how high-producing fruit and vegetable regions of the territory could mitigate the effects of diminished water supply. Interviews with farmers who irrigate in Santa Isabel, PR did not reveal proficiency about water reserves or measures for conservation. To explore whether the same social behavior toward water exists in a community of similar socioeconomic profile, the author also conducted interviews in Magdalena, New Mexico, where wells ran dry for irrigation and domestic use in 2013. In both settings, the dynamic described in “The Tragedy of the Commons” seems to best explain water depletion. Strategies for conservation include transfer of development rights and substitution of groundwater with surface water. Planning at the local level seems imperative.