Irrigation and transboundary water management in the lower Colorado River: The changing role of agriculturists in the Mexicali Valley, Mexico.

摘要

In this work I provide an empirically grounded analysis of the evolution of irrigation and transboundary water management and socio-productive processes in the Mexicali Valley, Mexico. An institutional analysis approach is applied as a theoretical framework for examining changes and impacts of institutional arrangements followed by agriculturists as they relate to water issues. I interviewed people who have worked and lived in the agricultural area of Mexicali for more than 50 years in order to compare two cases: the salinity problem of the 1960s-70s and the All-American Canal lining conflict that became critical during the 2000s.;The results show that agriculturists have lost economic, political, and organizational power to influence transboundary water issues. This appears to be directly related to the socio-productive polarization and the high degree of elitism among agricultural water users within the irrigation district. Furthermore, the results indicate that for the salinity problem a large, unified, and strong leadership among agriculturists was observed. However, today there are many opposing views in regards to the All-American Canal lining conflict and a weak and dispersed leadership of agriculturists. The research revealed different levels of stress on agriculturists for both the salinity problem and the All-American Canal lining conflict depending on the area of the Mexicali Valley studied.;I examine convergences and divergences in agriculturists' and water managers' views of institutional impacts of participation of agriculturists in the salinity and All-American Canal lining cases. I also explore institutional explanatory factors for social and irrigation impacts of the salinity problem case and the All-American Canal lining conflict on agriculturists in the regions of study area. Finally, I investigate differences in the perceptions between older and newer water managers as well as differences in the views of agriculturists and water managers concerning agricultural water users' institutions in the Mexicali Valley.;This research constitutes an institutional analysis of irrigation management with transboundary water conflicts. The work incorporates the input of key actors such as agriculturists and water managers. The research focuses on agriculturists and water managers in three major regions of the Mexicali Valley: the northern, central, and southern areas.;This research, by linking transboundary water management, irrigation, and land productivity, will help improve our understanding of institutions facing the challenge of working with both local irrigation and transboundary water management issues. This research also helps illuminate the complexities of water management in the U.S.-Mexican border regions and the role that agriculturists may play in increasing transboundary cooperation.