Policy Brief by Blue Community Ambassador Rosario Sánchez together with Ivonne Cruz:
Binational Governance of Transboundary Aquifers.
Transboundary aquifers (TBAs) between Mexico and the United States are vital yet underrecognized components of regional water security. Shared groundwater systems sustain the domestic water use of at least a dozen sister communities along the U.S.-Mexico border. Climate change stress, population growth-driven water demand, and growing surface water scarcity have intensified reliance on TBAs. It is estimated that between 7 to 9 million people depend on TBAs alone to fulfill their domestic and agricultural needs in the U.S.-Mexico border region. Yet, unlike surface water, which is governed by the 1944 U.S.-Mexico Water Treaty and its 332 Minutes issued by the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC), TBAs lack formal recognition or regulation at the binational level.
