In this Section:

	Background
	Project Overview
	Methods
	Results
	References
	Related Links
	Contacts

Research and Products:
Border/Mexico Studies

Results

Results from these projects were classified into three categories: general observations, climate specific results, and results relating to public participation.

I. Decentralization of Urban Water and Climate Science Use for Sustainability Planning in Border Cities

The general results suggest a heterogeneity of municipal, state, and private institutional arrangements in Mexico, along with some transboundary U.S.-Mexico cooperation and/or management. The lack of adequate funding also creates problems for municipal and state water managers in the management of complex service systems with antiquated delivery infrastructures that are overwhelmed by the rapid growth of urban areas in the border region (Pineda 1999; Wilder and Romero Lankao, forthcoming). Additionally, in spite of efforts to create a “new culture of water,” a culture of willingness to pay higher water tariffs and for widespread water accounting has yet to be created (Pineda 1999).

Climate specific results reveal that water managers’ access to climate science information and climate products in Sonora vary between large cities and small cities. Larger cities, such as Hermosillo, have enhanced access to climate science information and climate products, and are able to employ technical personnel that can interpret and use these data effectively. However, mid to small city water managers report very limited access and personnel do not have the technical expertise to effectively interpret and use climate information and products. Due to the uneven distribution and access of climate science products, few urban areas in Sonora or the border region report an increased use of climate information to inform their water use planning.

Results regarding the role of public participation in water resources decisions highlight opportunities for participation that are formalized in the legal framework but are generally not evident in practice. In Hermosillo, public participation has been formalized in the form of a technical or citizens’ advisory council to the city mayor. However, outside of Hermosillo, weak or non-existent forms of public participation exist in water decision making.

The decentralization of urban water management brings decision making about urban water provision closer to local communities, but the new management model lacks sufficient financial resources to address increasing urban demands. Recent planning discussions regarding the creation of a climate science/society center in Sonora represent a major step toward a more even and effective dissemination of climate information to local water managers. An enhanced focus on social stakeholders is likely to lead to ongoing involvement of local communities in urban water policy making. Finally, the decentralization “experiment” is quite new and has not had time to mature. The decentralized model continues to hold substantial potential to utilize climate information and engage stakeholders in order to create a more sustainable future, but the necessary technical and financial resources are critical to realizing this great potential.

II. River Basin Councils and Climate Science Use toward Sustainability Planning in Sonora

On a general level, river basin councils are an essential component of an integrated water resource management (IWRM) strategy. IWRM is believed to lead to more environmentally sustainable outcomes, as water user sectors work together to find solutions and compromises on areas of conflict. The river basin councils in Sonora are only recently being formed, and because there is not a history of coordination and planning at the river basin level, implementation and agenda-setting has been slow. In addition, the composition of river basin councils is so comprehensive that even bringing the council together in a meeting of the full creates logistical problems, since some council members are rarely available for meeting attendance. The river basin councils also lack the formal jurisdiction within the appropriate legal frameworks to carry out recommendations, creating a major limiting factor in their ability to have a real impact on the issues under discussion. The lack of jurisdiction, in turn, makes council participants less willing to give time to a process which is likely to have only limited impacts on important issues.

Although in theory river basin council mechanisms seem to lend themselves to greater utilization of climate science to guide their mid-long term planning and coordination, the Sonoran cases do not provide evidence to support this idea. Sonoran river basin councils in the early stages have not called for use of climate science for the agenda items they have discussed. And even though the river basin councils ostensibly have a longer-term focus, in reality the Sonoran river basin councils have focused on finding resolutions to current issues rather than engaging in long-term planning or sustainability discussions.

River basins successfully engage water user sectors in participating in council deliberations, coordination, and planning, as set forth in the legal frameworks governing the river basin council composition. River basin council participation is based upon one-representative-per-sector; however this apportionment is not reflective of actual societal water use and is believed by some to be skewed and unfair. Government representation is also disproportionately high on river basin councils, compared with very limited representation allowed from the citizens’ sector. Marginal groups, such as the urban poor or the ejido farmers, are not represented on river basin councils.

III. Community and Conservation: Assessing Public Values Toward the Lower Colorado River and Delta—A Binational Study (preliminary)

Challenges to advancing wetlands conservation proposals include:

• Multiplicity of jurisdictions (U.S., Mexico, Cocopah Tribe; local and state entities in both countries) and a complex geopolitical situation.
• Water for the environment is often subjugated to urban and agricultural needs, especially as climate change, drought, and policy decisions contribute to water supply shortages.
• Colorado River policy making often excludes Mexican communities and policymakers, contributing to an environment that is conflictive rather than cooperative.
• National security concerns along the border, coupled with a tightened immigration and drug interdiction policy, have taken precedence over environmental concerns.
• Insufficient recognition of the link between a sound ecosystem and healthy regional economies, built in part on nature tourism.
• Riparian/wetland areas within the Delta region are an integral part of the cultural fabric of communities’ lives.
• Local communities utilize the wetlands for recreational reasons, such as family picnics and outings, as well as for ecotourism, hunting and fishing, and cultural reasons.
• Local binational communities believe that climate change and drought are increasingly threatening the health of the Delta ecosystem. They favor bilateral (U.S./Mexico) government action to preserve the riparian areas for the benefit of future generations.