The Mezquital Valley from the perspective of the new Dryland Development Paradigm (DDP): present and future challenges to achieve sustainable development

Mezquital Valley is the world?s largest reuser of wastewater for agricultural irrigation. Most previous studies in this region aim to understand the impacts of long-term irrigation on the land. In this paper, we analyze the Mezquital Valley as a socioecological system (SES) within the framework of the dryland development paradigm (DDP). The integrative principles of unpacking, traverse and sharing were used to untangle the biophysical and socio-economic subsystems and their interactions. Small landholders were identified as the main drivers of change. The high availability of wastewater has put farmers in a precarious comfort zone where high crop yields are obtained by overlooking environmental tradeoffs; treatment of wastewater is therefore perceived as a threat to the status quo, due to assumed increased cost or reduced access. Academia can build a functional learning community with farmers to understand the benefits of wastewater treatment. This community can develop sustainable water management strategies based on technical innovations and market diversification, empowering farmers to face upcoming external threats like climate change.

Automated summary

Mezquital Valley is the world's largest reuser of wastewater for agricultural irrigation, with small landholders identified as the main drivers of change. The threat of wastewater treatment to the status quo can be alleviated by building a functional learning community between academia and farmers, allowing for the development of sustainable water management strategies.