International Water Use Relations Along the Sonoran Desert Borderlands

摘要

Water resources in the arid-semiarid region of the Sonoran Desert Borderlands are, and historically have been, difficult to manage due to the artificial political boundary between Mexico and the United States. The current state of water use relations in this area are examined from published and unpublished articles and manuscripts, government reports and hearings, press reports, first-hand observations, and interview with officials and other involved individuals. Water resources areas examined include international groundwater, surface water, and water pollution. The International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) is designed to deal with these issues, however, rapid urbanization along the border with its accompanying municipal and industrial water demands has created new conflict areas other than the long-standing conflict over agricultural water use. IBWC has a limited scope of authority and is inadequate in resolving issues where sound water management is secondary to political considerations.