Beyond Scarcity: Rethinking Water Governance Along the U.S.–Mexico Border
At the inaugural Water Futures seminar, experts explored how governance, environmental inequality, and ecosystem restoration are shaping the future of water security along the border.
Water scarcity is becoming a defining challenge along the U.S.–Mexico border. But the problem is not simply how much water remains available. It is also how water is governed, who can access it, and how decades of environmental change and economic decisions have shaped the region.
These questions were at the center of Ecology at the Border, the inaugural seminar of the Water Futures Series, organized by the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies (DRCLAS) at Harvard University.
Moderated by Gabriela Soto Laveaga, professor of the history of science and Antonio Madero Professor for the Study of Mexico at Harvard University, the discussion brought together Bobby Cervantes, assistant professor of history at the Georgia Institute of Technology; Ivonne Cruz, research scholar at the Claudio X. González Center for the U.S. and Mexico; and Carlos de la Parra, founder and managing partner of Centro Luken de Estrategias en Agua y Medio Ambiente.
Drawing on perspectives from history, environmental policy, and water management, the speakers examined a central challenge: addressing water scarcity requires more than infrastructure investments and agreements over water allocation. It demands new approaches to governing shared resources, addressing inequality, and protecting the ecosystems that sustain them.
When Scarcity Moves Faster Than Institutions
One of the most pressing challenges along the border is the growing disconnect between environmental change and the ability of institutions to respond. Rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, and increasing demand are placing unprecedented pressure on shared water resources. Yet the frameworks governing those resources have struggled to keep pace.
The 1944 Water Treaty between the United States and Mexico remains foundational to binational water management, but its implementation has traditionally focused on water allocations and deliveries rather than comprehensive management of shared river basins.
"The water scarcity was advancing faster than the governance of these institutions can adapt," explained Cruz, drawing on a recent binational assessment of water governance priorities.
That assessment brought together policymakers, academics, and civil society representatives to identify opportunities for improving cooperation between the two countries. Four priorities emerged: establishing reliable shared scientific data, developing common criteria for defining extraordinary drought, strengthening implementation of the 1944 Water Treaty through a basin-wide approach, and creating incentives for water conservation.
The challenge, the speakers emphasized, is to move beyond responding to individual emergencies toward building institutions capable of anticipating and managing long-term scarcity.
The Human Cost of Water Insecurity
Water insecurity is not experienced equally. For some communities, the greatest challenge is not simply the availability of water, but the cost of obtaining it. Along the Texas–Mexico border, colonias—largely unincorporated, predominantly Latino communities—illustrate how water insecurity intersects with poverty, public health, and longstanding patterns of economic inequality. Through his research on these settlements, Cervantes has traced how decades of land development and institutional neglect contributed to communities where access to clean, reliable water remains a persistent challenge.
Historically, some households have relied on polluted canals, livestock runoff, or rainwater stored in chemical drums for basic needs. Although community organizing and public investment have expanded water infrastructure in many colonias, access alone has not eliminated the problem.
High connection fees, rising utility costs, and unreliable service continue to burden families. In some cases, residents turn to expensive private water-treatment services, taking on additional debt to secure safe water.
The consequences extend beyond individual households. When governments delay infrastructure investments, the financial and health costs fall disproportionately on residents least able to absorb them.
Cervantes's research highlights a broader lesson: water security cannot be measured solely by infrastructure or supply. Affordability, access, and environmental justice must also be part of the equation.
Protecting the Ecosystems That Sustain Water
While stronger institutions and more equitable access are essential, long-term water security also depends on the health of the natural systems that sustain water resources. In the Colorado River Basin and the Mexicali Valley, decades of water-intensive agricultural production have placed growing pressure on water supplies, soils, and biodiversity.
De la Parra emphasized the need to move beyond approaches focused primarily on water deliveries and infrastructure toward strategies that restore ecological health.
"We really need to pay attention to the natural capital base and see how we can promote its health," he said.
One promising approach is regenerative agriculture, which seeks to improve soil health, conserve water, and restore biodiversity while maintaining productive agricultural landscapes.
De la Parra described ongoing efforts in the Mexicali Valley to introduce regenerative practices, with early field experiences suggesting the potential for substantial water savings over time. These efforts also point to opportunities for restoring habitats and supporting biodiversity in landscapes shaped by decades of intensive agricultural use.
The discussion explored how financial incentives, corporate investment, and payments for ecosystem services could help make conservation a viable part of economic activity. Rather than treating environmental protection as separate from water management, these approaches recognize healthy ecosystems as essential infrastructure for long-term water security.
Lessons Beyond the Border
The water challenges facing the U.S.–Mexico border are far from uniform. Pollution in the Tijuana River, agricultural water shortages in the Colorado River Basin, and unequal access in Texas colonias reflect different histories, environmental conditions, and institutional realities. Yet these challenges reveal important connections between water governance, economic development, environmental justice, and ecosystem health.
The discussion underscored that no single solution—whether infrastructure investment, international agreements, or conservation measures—can address water insecurity on its own. Meaningful progress requires coordinated approaches that account for both the people and natural systems that depend on shared water resources.
As Soto Laveaga noted in her closing remarks, the world is becoming increasingly water-scarce, and the experiences of border communities offer valuable lessons for learning to manage that scarcity. For regions confronting similar pressures, the U.S.–Mexico border offers both a warning about the consequences of delayed action and an opportunity to learn from decades of experience navigating limited and shared water resources.
Continuing the Conversation: Mexico's Water Futures
The next Water Futures seminar, Mexico's Water Futures: Three Institutional Perspectives, will explore how research institutions are addressing Mexico's water challenges and how their work can inform policy and collaboration over the next ten to fifteen years.
The virtual discussion will take place on November 18, 2026, from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. EST, with simultaneous Spanish interpretation.
Learn more about the Water Futures Series.