Unsustainable use of surface water due to water balance miscalculation: the Culiacan River basin, Mexico

The development of instruments for the administration of water use is a pending issue in both developing and developed countries. UNESCO has published guidance on determining water availability in Latin American and Caribbean countries. We applied this method to the Culiacan River basin, the most significant basin in Mexico for agricultural productivity. We find that surface water availability has been overestimated due to the inclusion of non-physical terms in the water balance equation, miscalculation of natural runoff and the omission of ecological water flow. Thus, unsustainable surface water use is allowed based on a miscalculation of physical water availability.

Automated summary

The development of water use management tools is a common issue in both developing and developed countries. UNESCO's guidance on water availability has been applied to the Culiacan River basin in Mexico, revealing that surface water availability has been overestimated due to calculation errors and the neglect of ecological water flow. This leads to unsustainable water use.