HumanSettlements

Transport-ation

Environment

Recreation

Energy

Health

Forestry

Agriculture

WaterWater

Doña Ana

AscensiónJuárez

El Paso

Hudspeth

Guadalupe

P.G. Guerrero

Otero

Rio GrandeRío Bravo

Elephant Butte

Caballo

Pecos

Salt Basin

El Paso

Cd. Juárez

Las Cruces

Hueco Bolson

Tularosa Basin

Jornada del Muerto

Mesilla Bolson

Conejos Médanos

Rio Grande Aquifer

2,500,000

2,000,000

1,500,000

1,000,000

500,000

1900

1910

1920

1930

1940

1950

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

Historical Population GrowthHistorical Population Growth

2,073,000190

6 -

Mexic

an

Wate

r Tre

aty

193

8 –

Rio

Gra

nd

e

Com

pact 195

4-5

8 –

Dro

ught

of

Reco

rdDoña Ana County

El Paso County

Juárez Municipio

43,291

194

4 –

Mexic

an W

ate

r Tre

aty

5,000,000

4,000,000

3,000,000

2,000,000

1,000,000

Projected Population GrowthProjected Population Growth6,000,000

198

0

200

0

202

0

204

0

190

0

192

0

194

0

196

0

7,000,000

329,000

1,082,000

2,518,000

3,929,000

??2,073,000

Doña Ana County

New MexicoDoña Ana County

New MexicoEl Paso County

TexasEl Paso County

TexasJuárez Municipio

ChihuahuaJuárez Municipio

Chihuahua

Surface Water AllocationSurface Water Allocation

36,4

00 h

a

27,9

00 h

a

12,1

00 h

a

174,6

82

1,2

18,8

17

679,6

22

333 M

m3

255 M

m3

74 M

m3

Irrigated Land (in ha)Irrigated Land (in ha)Surface Water Allocation (in Surface Water Allocation (in MmMm33))PopulationPopulation

1000

900

800

700

600

500

400

300

200

100

0

1972

1974

1976

1978

1980

1982

1984

1986

1988

1990

1994

1996

1998

2000

1992

Per

Capit

a W

ate

r U

se(l

iters

/pers

on/d

ay)

1980

Per Capita Water Use TrendsPer Capita Water Use Trends

848

606

2000

350

El Paso

Cd. Juárez

250 km

128o

52o

Albuquerque

Lubbock

Hermosillo

Tucson

Phoenix

Chihuahua

MidlandOdessa

New Mexico / Texas Water New Mexico / Texas Water CommissionCommission

• City of Las Cruces

• Doa Ana County

• El Paso Water Utilities

• Elephant Butte Irrigation District

• El Paso County Water Improvement District No. 1

• New Mexico State University (WRRI)

• Texas A&M University (Research Center)

• University of Texas at El Paso

Impediments to Rationalizing Water

Allocation

Impediments to Rationalizing Water

Allocation• Fragmentation of jurisdictions & separate

regulation of surface and ground waters

• Information voids / reticence to share information

• Limitations on transferring surface water to M&I use

• Continued rapid population growth

• Limited financial means to address water / wastewater problems among different jurisdictions

Alphabet Soup of Water Alphabet Soup of Water ManagementManagement

• IBWC / CILA• EPCWID / EBID / 009• USBR / COE / CNA• EPA / SEMARNAT• BECC / COCEF• TCEQ / OSE

• USF&WS / ISC

Surface Water as aPublic Resource

Surface Water byby Prior Appropriation

(Adjudication in Process)

Rio GrandeRío Bravo

Surface Water byby Prior Appropriation

(Unadjudicated)

Ground Water byPrior Appropriation

Absolute OwnershipDoctrine

(“Right of Capture”)

Ground Water as aPublic Resource

Fundamental Differences in Water Fundamental Differences in Water LawsLaws

PerspectivesPerspectives

Knowledge / TimeframeKnowledge / TimeframePoliti

cal In

flu

en

ce

Politi

cal In

flu

en

ce

Binational Water ProgramBinational Water ProgramPrograma Binacional del Programa Binacional del

AguaAgua• UTEP awarded a Ford Foundation Grant - 1992

• Hosted Series of Workshops

• Program coupled with an EDA Grant - 1996

• Technical Studies & Community Dialogue

• Publication of a “Sustainable Water Use Strategy” – 1998

• One recommendation was the creation of a Binational Water Management District

A Model: Paso del Norte

Air Quality Task Force

A Model: Paso del Norte

Air Quality Task Force• Binational• Government / Business / NGO• Catalyst for shared action• Ultimate Vision: international

air quality management district• Led to formation of the Joint

Advisory Committee

Air versus WaterAir versus Water• Air Pollution is a Contaminant

– Water is a Resource• Laws regarding Air Pollution are

relatively Recent– Water law has a Long History

• Air is not Owned– Water rights are fully Allocated

• Few institutions govern Air Quality– Numerous Institutions are involved

in water resource management

• Air Pollution is a Contaminant– Water is a Resource

• Laws regarding Air Pollution are relatively Recent– Water law has a Long History

• Air is not Owned– Water rights are fully Allocated

• Few institutions govern Air Quality– Numerous Institutions are involved

in water resource management

Paso del Norte Water Task

Force Strategy for Accommodating Diverse

Points-of-view

Paso del Norte Water Task

Force Strategy for Accommodating Diverse

Points-of-view

Bu

sin

ess

Inte

rest

s

Municipal

Water Utili

ties

Water

Research

ers

Irrigation

Districts

CivicOrganizations

Bus

ines

sLe

ader

Municipal

Water Utilit

y

Water

Expert

IrrigationDistrict

CommunityLeader

Texas

IBWC / CILA Commissioners

Support Team (Academicians & NGOs)

Paso del Norte Water Task

Force StructurePaso del Norte Water Task

Force Structure

Bus

ines

sLe

ader

Municipal

Water Utilit

yW

ater

Expert

IrrigationDistrict

CommunityLeader

Chihuahua

Bus

ines

sLe

ader

Municipal

Water Utilit

y

Water

Expert

IrrigationDistrict

CommunityLeader

NewMexico

Paso del Norte Watershed Paso del Norte Watershed CouncilCouncil

• U.S. Army – Fort Bliss Directorate of the Environment

• U.S. Bureau of Reclamation

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

• U.S. IBWC

• Ysleta del Sur Pueblo

• New Mexico Department of Agriculture

• New Mexico State University (WRRI)

• Texas A&M – Extension Service

• Universidad Autónoma de Cd. Juárez

• University of Texas at El Paso

• El Paso Water Utilities

• ASCE – Environmental & Water Resources Institute

• Chihuahuan Desert Rescue

• Environmental Defense

• Keystone Heritage Park

• League of Women Voters

• Rio Grande Restoration

• Southwest Environmental Center

• World Wildlife Fund

Far West Texas Water Planning Far West Texas Water Planning GroupGroup

• Counties (3)

• Municipalities (3)

• Water Districts (2)

• Water Utilities (1)

• Ground Water Conservation Districts (2)

• Agriculture (1)

• Industry (1)

• Environmental (1)

• Economic Development (1)

• Travel & Tourism (1)

• Building / Real Estate (1)

• Small Business

• Electric Generating Utilities (1)

• Public (2)

• Other (2)

• Non-Voting Members (14)

Alphabet Soup of Water Alphabet Soup of Water OrganizationsOrganizations

• Aqua 21• Far West Texas Water Planning Group• Lower Rio Grande Water Users Association• New Mexico / Texas Water Commission• Paso del Norte Water Task Force• Paso del Norte Watershed Council• Border 2012 – NM/TX/CHIH Water Task

Force• CHIWAWA• Rio Grande / Rio Bravo Basin Coalition• Forgotten River Advisory Committee

SUSTAINABILITY:

Meeting the needs of todaywithout compromising the ability offuture generations to meet their needs.

   from the Brundtland Report, Our Common Future

 World Commission on Environment & Development

320160 200 240 280 320 360 400 440 480 520 560 600 640 680 720 760

2

4

6

8

10

0

Sustainable Population Sustainable Population ParametersParameters

Pop

ula

tion

(i

n m

illio

ns)

Per Capita Water Use (liters per person per day)

Surface Water Surface Water 740 740 MmMm33

Natural Recharge Natural Recharge 30 Mm30 Mm33 No Agriculture, 50% Recycling

No Agriculture, No Recycling50% Agriculture, No Recycling

• Membership includes Israelis, Palestinians & Jordanians FoEMEFoEME

Friends of the Earth - Middle East

Friends of the Earth - Middle East

• Affiliated with Friends of the Earth International

• Acts as an ‘umbrella’ for several Mid-East environmental groups

Egypt Saudi Arabia

Iraq

Turkey

Syria

Jordan

LebanonIsrael

West BankGaza Strip

==

==

# #

# #

##

# #### #

#

#

##

# #

#

# ### #

## ## #

### #

#

##

##

Water Use Management Criteria:

1. Impact on AvailableWater Supply

2. Technically Feasible

3. Environmental Impact

4. Economically Feasible

5. Implications for Intergenerational Equity

Committee on Sustainable Water Supplies for the Middle East

Criterion

1. Impact on AvailableWater Supply 0 0 0

0

2. Technically Feasible + + ++

3. Environmental Impact 0 +/- +/0+/-

4. Economically Feasible + +/- +/-+/-

5. Implications for + +/0 ++

Intergenerational Equity

Demand Management

Urb

an

Ag

ricu

ltu

re

Ind

ust

ry

Pri

cin

g

Criterion

1. Impact on AvailableWater Supply +/- + +

2. Technically Feasible + +/- +

3. Environmental Impact +/- +/- -

4. Economically Feasible +/- +/- +

5. Implications for + ? -Intergenerational Equity

Augmenting Supplies

Wate

rsh

ed

M

an

ag

em

en

t

Wate

r H

arv

est

ing

Gro

un

d W

ate

r O

verd

raft

Criterion

1. Impact on AvailableWater Supply + + +

+

2. Technically Feasible + + ++

3. Environmental Impact + +/- +-

4. Economically Feasible +/- +/- +-

5. Implications for + +/0 +?

Intergenerational Equity

Reclamation, MarginalWater, & Desalination

Wast

ew

ate

rR

ecl

am

ati

on

Marg

inal

Qualit

y W

ate

r

Bra

ckis

h W

ate

rD

esa

linati

on

Seaw

ate

rD

esa

linati

on

Maslow’s Hierarchy of NeedsApplied to the Individual

Maslow’s Hierarchy of NeedsApplied to the Individual

Survival Needs

Security Needs

Social Needs

Status Needs

Self-actualization

Community Economy

Community Stability

Community Linkages

Community Prominence

Quality-of-lifeEnvironmental Enhancement

Diversity of Opportunity

Environmental Protection

CurrentFocus in the Middle East

Maslow’s Hierarchy of NeedsApplied to the Community

Maslow’s Hierarchy of NeedsApplied to the Community

Scenarios for Cooperative Scenarios for Cooperative PlanningPlanning

• Individual actions based on parochial interests

• Guarded dialogue and limited cooperation

• Forthright information-sharing & willingness to engage in projects of mutual benefit

1. There is no magical leadership structure – just people & relationships.

2. Collaboration is messy & frustrating … but indispensable!

3. No one is excluded; no one is excused.

Collaborative Planning Principles

CommerceCommerce

Conflicting InterestsConflicting Interests

MunicipalWaterNeeds

AgriculturalWaterNeeds

NatureNature

Quality of Life

Quality of Life

RecreationRecreation

Social Equity

Social Equity

IndustryIndustry

Emerging Technologies

Emerging Technologies

Public Health

Public Health

Tribal Concerns

Tribal Concerns

Water Institutions

Water Institutions

NeighborhoodsNeighborhoods

Collaboration Principle #4:

As the Table Gets Larger …

Collaboration Principle #4:

As the Table Gets Larger …

… It Gets Rounder.… It Gets Rounder.

1. There is no magical leadership structure – just people and relationships.

2. Collaboration is messy and frustrating … but indispensable!

3. No one is excluded; no one is excused.

4. As the table gets larger, it gets rounder.

5. As the process continues, the agenda gets tougher.

6. It’s never over.

Collaborative Planning Principles

Tools for Possible SolutionsTools for Possible Solutions

• Conservation

• Technology

• Financial Capability

• Region-based Cooperation

• Water Markets

• Growth Management

Not to know what happened before one was born

is to live always as a child. 

  – Cicero