Advancing Sustainability of U.S.-Mexico Transboundary Drylands Proceedings of a Workshop (2018) / Chapter Skim
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3 Four Key Topics
3 Four Key Topics
Pages 19-38
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From page 19... ...
Each café group consisted of at least two members of the planning committee, two facilitators, and one rapporteur; other participants attended the sessions of their choosing. Café participants spent most of the time in collaborative discussion, with the goal of collecting substantive input that has the potential to inform future sustainability efforts.
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From page 20... ...
Their research showed that both U.S. and Mexican border states and cities have seen major growth over the past several decades, but growth on the Mexican side has been much more rapid, and it has occurred with very little regulation or planning.
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From page 21... ...
state water utilities, and as Mexico explores the possibility of natural gas exploration (fracking) , it raises concerns about the large water supplies needed to support such activities.
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From page 22... ...
A change in policy or the construction of a wall may have indirect effects that will require new strategies, collective action, and governance; however, if the population in the region is transient, the question then becomes what level of civic participation and investment in future planning one can expect from local residents. Turning to biological flows, in addition to the commonly thought of movement of plant and animal species that cross or span the border, café participants considered the spread of infections and infectious diseases, such as avian flu, that can also cross the border and ought to be considered when addressing human and animal migration.
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From page 23... ...
Several participants emphasized that it requires significant ongoing "human infrastructure" to keep databases current. The infrastructure needed to manage flows in the drylands region used to focus primarily on sewage and water treatment, noted one participant, but the area now has a wider range of needs that will require expanding and rehabilitating the current infrastructure.
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From page 24... ...
Ziolkowska began by listing four resource and ecosystem issues to consider when evaluating a diverse region such as the transboundary drylands area as a whole or by jurisdictions: common resources, shared natural resources, transboundary externalities, and linked environmental and political issues. Common resources are those, such as clean air, the ocean, and the ozone, that are valuable but not always owned by any particular jurisdiction.
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From page 25... ...
She noted that places worldwide that have tried to privatize water have faced much resistance. In her presentation, Ziolkowska asked the café session participants to consider how management of resources across international borders is different from domestic management: How does the physical or legal presence of an international border affect coordinated stewardship of a shared resource?
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From page 26... ...
One participant noted that several cities in Mexico lack the funding to effectively manage and treat wastewater; another noted that the United States, instead of using its capacity to treat wastewater coming from Mexico, is instead spending 75 percent more energy on desalinization. Other participants brought up additional examples of waste and hazardous material conversion and repurposing, including systems that are able to turn highly toxic substances like brine and sodium hydroxide into usable materials.
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From page 27... ...
Liden started by discussing some examples of effective U.S.-Mexico cooperation on environmental management, including the International Boundary and Water Committee (encompassing the 1944 Water Treaty) , and the long-standing cooperative efforts between the EPA and the National Water Commission in Mexico (CONAGUA)
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From page 28... ...
Examples of environmental concerns include major erosion problems from inadequate storm water drainage systems in vulnerable areas and a heavy concentration of corrosive pollutants that shortens the lifespan for wastewater infrastructure. Socioeconomic shocks include strong odors from wastewater that affect residents and discourage tourism, fights between the United States and Mexico over water quality and quantity issues, and perennial rivers that now flow sporadically due to water overuse.
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From page 29... ...
As the cost of dealing with natural disasters is increasing, there should be heightened effort to coordinate interventions, promote sustainable development, and preserve the quality of life. The facilitators asked the café session participants to identify shocks and stressors that are of major concern in the drylands region, as well as to consider existing interventions -- including those that may no longer be relevant -- and strategies to improve sustainability in the future.
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From page 30... ...
They noted that potential future activities, such as the construction of a wall between the United States and Mexico, could shock environmental and social systems and strain connections between the two countries. Many participants stressed that it will be important to continue strengthening and supporting the institutions and platforms that
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From page 31... ...
One participant suggested that the Border Mayors Association can provide a space to work together on common binational problems and solutions and actively help advance an environmental agenda. GOVERNANCE AND INNOVATION Facilitators Jurgen Schmandt (University of Texas at Austin)
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From page 32... ...
Water management in the shared border region continues to evolve as the area changes. Schmandt explained how the U.S.
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From page 33... ...
Aguilar described a joint project he coordinated between Tecnológico de Monterrey, El Centro del Agua, and los Servicios de Agua y Drenaje (water and drainage service) on the state of water in Monterrey, the capital of the state of Nuevo Leon in northeast Mexico.4 As a major city, Monterrey sees a heavy flow of resources and people, and its urban area has more than doubled in the past 40 years.
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From page 34... ...
Climate change should also be considered, he said, as projections show a decrease in precipitation, humidity, and overall environmental stability in the long term. He referenced a 2014 report done by the World Bank5 that addresses managing risk and opportunity at varying levels, from the household to the international community, using water improvement and transfer between urban and rural areas as a primary example.
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From page 35... ...
Regarding natural disasters and risk management, a participant from San Luis Potosí said that while that city does not see hurricanes, it did have a water overage that caused management issues, primarily due to a lack of communication. In response to a question about working with meteorologists to manage the risk of hurricanes, Aguilar said his university has scientists who build climate scenarios and others who view scenarios from a political or economic perspective.
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From page 36... ...
How can the context of successful opportunities be replicated? One participant emphasized the importance of looking at international experiences outside of this region, such as in Australia, where they now use public funds to maintain environmental flow (the quantity, timing, and quality of water flows required to sustain ecosystems and human well-being)
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From page 37... ...
FOUR KEY TOPICS 37 perspective, but when talking about issues such as water movement, contamination, and fracking, it is necessary to think about the economic and political ramifications, as well as the effect they will have on civil societies.
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Key Terms
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