Water management in Northern Mexico: sharing resources affected by drought

Northern Mexico is suffering a severe drought since the beginning of 1990's. Rainfall amount was at least 25% lower than average during 8 over 11 years an the 1992-2002 period. This drought caused an hydropolitic problem with USA and led to drastic consequences both on agriculture and breeding. The current water scarcity is due to a plurality of processes occurred during the last years, in the historical and geographical context of this northern region. New strategies of management appeared as an adaptation to maintain the activities in spite of the drought; new activities that generate more added value with the same quantity of water were developed. Water scarcity must lead to consider drought and flood hazards. A new 'patrimonial management must take over from the mining-type of natural resources in order to preserve the environment. That should avoid that land degradation continues to enhance scarcity by a reduction in water reserves of soils.