Autonomous University of Zacatecas

Academic Unit of Preparatory

Academic Program Three

Social Sciences IV
PEDRO JAVIER FLORES GONZALES

WATER CRISIS

Name Pedro Flores Borjon

Group 4 A

May 24, 2022

Index
INTRODUCTION...............................................................1
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM...........................................2

QUESTIONS………………………………………………………………………3
OBJECTIVES..................................................4
JUSTIFICATION………………………………………………………………….5
FEASIBILITY....................................................................6
HYPOTHESIS
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK…………………………………………………………8

SURVEY…………………………………………………………………………9

INTRODUCTION
The lack of water suitable for human consumption is the cause of serious diseases.
diarrheal diseases, which kill more than 2 million people each year (most of them
children, especially in developing countries). The poor conditions of
health limit the development and relief of poverty so much that the Commission of
United Nations for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
2000 included in the right to health also factors such as safe water for the
human consumption and environmental sanitation. The same commission in 2003 has
declared that the right to water "clearly falls within the categories of guarantees
essential to ensure an adequate standard of living, particularly because it is
one of the fundamental conditions for survival" (WHO, 2003). At the level
from the Central American region the strong urbanization and the type of development
socioeconomic factors have turned several rivers into open-air dumps
threatening not only the health of people close to these sources, but
also those homes in remote areas due to the drift of pollutants.
This reality diminishes the quality of life for many people, thus compromising the
future development of the region. Solutions are needed that do not focus
only in terms of resource supply.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The global water scarcity. This problem refers to
availability, it is that 74% of the fresh water on Earth is not available for
the consumption since it is frozen in the glaciers. Currently, 40%
of the world's population, that is, more than 80 countries, is already suffering from a serious shortage
of water. The water scarcity is a natural phenomenon, but it is also a phenomenon
induced by human beings. Even when there is enough fresh water in the
planet to meet the needs of a world population of nearly
seven billion people, their distribution is unequal both in time and
in space, and much of it is wasted, contaminated, and handled
unsustainable way. There is no scarcity of water in the world as such, in its
There are a number of regions in the world that suffer from water scarcity, 29
this is due to the fact that the use of this resource has grown more than double in relation to
the population growth rate in the last century. About one-fifth
(1.2 billion) of the world population of 6 billion people lives in
areas facing water scarcity, and another quarter of the world's population (1,600
millions) face cuts in their water supply due to a lack of
infrastructure necessary to draw water from rivers and aquifers (UN, 2005). The
water scarcity represents the most pressing challenge for many countries.
socioeconomic and human development in general.
Water scarcity is the condition in which the demand for this resource,
all sectors, including the environment, cannot be satisfied
due to the impact of water use on the supply or the quality of the resource. The
water scarcity can worsen due to climate change, especially in
arid and semi-arid zones, which already present water stress. Thus, the
protection of the world's freshwater resources requires that the impact of
human origin concerning the environment and climate should be addressed in a manner
integrated. It is critically important to invest in programs that protect the environment
natural environment, conserve water resources and use them appropriately
efficient.
The degradation of water quality contributes to the scarcity of this resource.
This is an important aspect in the management of water resources, which has
has been treated with negligence. The poor quality of the water has multiple
consequences for health and the environment, which render the resource unfit
for its use, resulting in the reduction of resource availability
water. Indeed, water pollution has become one of the great
threats to the availability and reuse of freshwater. The accelerated
urbanization, the increase in agricultural activities, the use of fertilizers and
pesticides, soil degradation, high population concentrations and the
Poor waste disposal affects the availability of resources.
Note: Water scarcity in the world.

Despite the fact that Latin America has about 31 percent of the sources
of drinking water in the world, could be one of the most affected regions in
a potential crisis caused by climate change. For Latin America, the
access to drinking water consumption is different, it is one of the richest regions
in water resources, due to having huge aquifer resources like the jungle
Amazonian, located in countries of the Southern Cone, specifically in Venezuela and
Brazil. But it does not exempt it from facing serious supply problems.
despite being the richest continent from the perspective of availability of
per capita water, there are populations that suffer from scarcity issues
water. According to Laclette and Zúñiga (2012), Latin America has 26% of the water of
planet for only 6% of the population, but it is heading towards an escalation in
the issues of the exploitation of its water sources, due to the growing
increase in the population and the demands for basic services, as well as the
nonexistence of a sustained development model for the exploitation of materials
primes and absence of proper reforestation policies in the vicinity of the
water sources and protection of the channels, among others. Venezuela as part of
Latin America does not escape this problem, despite having numerous
natural sources, although difficult for the population to access because they
they are found in the least populated areas of the country. The services of
The supply of drinking water for Venezuelan inhabitants is characterized
due to the low coverage and low quality level in its purification. The water that
it arrives at each of the homes, coming from reservoirs whose capacities do not
They meet the demand, which is why the hydropower plants implement rationing.
to distribute water evenly to all inhabitants.
According to the National Institute of Statistics (INE, 2016), studies conducted on
the water and sanitation services in 335 municipalities of the country showed that
these were insufficient in 231 of these municipalities, that is, approximately the
70% of the total. In Venezuela, a residential average of about 230 is estimated.
Lts/day per person (liters per capita per day). The supply to the population is not
uniformly continuous, often fails to meet basic standards
of quality for drinking water. Consequently, a significant number of
Venezuelans are forced to meet these needs through other sources.
not timely, more expensive, without the appropriate conditions.

Note: Water scarcity in Latin America.

 In Mexico, water for human consumption is obtained from underground aquifers.
Rivers and streams. These natural supplies are renewed in a manner
spontaneous during the rainy season. Very generally, in the country the
The rainy season lasts for 4 months each year, which is not enough.
to recharge the aquifers according to their exploitation. In this situation,
there is a government agency responsible for managing and preserving the
national waters, with the participation of citizens, to achieve a use
The National Water Commission is responsible for the sustainable management of the resource. This Commission

consider that the participation of society is essential to achieve the

goals that have been set in each part of the country, since only the inhabitants
they can provide the continuity required for these actions. To comply with
its purpose, the Commission is divided into central offices, regional management,
state management and Municipal Commissions of Drinking Water and Sanitation
(CMAS). These organizations are responsible for promoting, among other things,
directly the participation of society in the preservation of the resource, which
it is expected to achieve through the establishment of a water culture; understood
this is like habits, customs, and ways to use efficiently and rationally the
resource. The Municipal Commission of Potable Water and Sanitation of Coatzacoalcos
it has detected that people misuse water, leaving the faucet running
while they bathe and rinse their hands, the water leaks are repaired for days
after finding them, wasting large amounts as in many
other domestic activities that require the use of this resource, so that
this organization wishes to implement an advertising campaign with the goal of
raise awareness among the population about the water problem and its consequences. The
designing a strategy for that advertising campaign is important because thus
the message will be adapted to the perspectives of the people of Coatzacoalcos, and
it will most likely generate benefits for the community by raising awareness in the
People about the proper use of water.
Note: water scarcity in Mexico.
One of the main issues in the municipality is the water shortage.
drinking water; the scarcity of this vital liquid, in the peripheral colonies and in the area
The center of Fresnillo has led to an increase in delinquent users. Currently
one in every four users of the supply system has stopped paying for it
service and has caused the difficult economic situation of the Water System
Drinking Water, Sewage and Sanitation of Fresnillo (Siapasf).
Due to the lack of economic resources, the supplying agency does not remove the
line item with the option to increase the cost of the rates, measure that
It must be approved by the Board of Directors of Siapasf; the authorities
they justify that it is the only option in the absence of additional resources or power
to be benefited with some subsidy coming from the State.
However, the measure has been viewed negatively by
users, who have repeatedly expressed their dissatisfaction to
through the social networks of the decentralized organization when it is published the
relationship of itinerant boxes in the colonies of Fresnillo, measure implemented
to increase the charges or announce the frequent repairs of the equipment
electromechanical and pumping.
Previously, rationing in the colonies was common, but the inhabitants of the
population sectors with shortages, particularly from the outskirts, report
that lately the service is for a shorter time than estimated; they end up waiting
up to 15 days during times when the liquid cannot be collected
for human consumption. Regarding the issue, the director of the System,
Rafael Valenzuela Rodríguez indicated that the dry season has caused
that a large part of the city is experiencing a shortage of vital liquid despite the
Temperatures in the Fresnillo territory have relented in recent days.
added to the rainfall. He considered that the shortage has not been so
it has worsened like last year but the collection of resources has increased, he acknowledged
that users have fallen into delinquency and that a
a significant number of illegal taps that are currently unregistered
In the system, they are considered as a leak of economic resources for the system.
In the absence of economic resources, the director justified that it cannot be done.
implement greater infrastructure to increase the volume of water that
could benefit the colonies with supply problems, the citizens
delays with the payment and it is the main limitation for the improvement of the equipment
of re-pumping. However, he also acknowledged that the collection strategies do not
they have been optimal and proof of this is the high number of users that are present
in default, the recovery of economic resources has been the main
problem that is posed to tackle with an effective collection strategy that
it could include severe cuts in supply.
Note: water scarcity in Fresnillo, Zac.

QUESTIONS

General
1.- What is the situation of water care in Fresnillo, Zacatecas, Mexico?
Specifics
1.- What are the strategies for water conservation?
2.- How do you save water in your home?

3.- What do you use water for in your home?

4.- What are the different strategies to save water in your home?

OBJECTIVES
Prediction and planning for water scarcity for a sustainable future through
from the instrumentation of both international and regional consensuses
relating to the way of addressing the issue of water scarcity, improvement in the
measurement and accounting of freshwater resources, development and improvement of
a predictive planning of water and management instruments, improvement in the
management and distribution system during periods of scarcity, a better understanding
of the services related to water, as well as the water needs
of ecosystems, improvement in water valuation, design of schemes that
allow to live with water scarcity in view of the continuous climate change and
exploration of new ways of resource management.
Develop environmentally and economically suitable and oriented alternatives
towards unconventional water resources (e.g. desalination and treatment of
wastewater), as well as conventional techniques for resource enhancement
hydric (water transfer, reuse, water capture) through the
global incentivization towards the use of technologies and successful experiences
in the improvement of water supply.
Develop and promote innovative technologies and instruments to save water,
and improve its public acceptance as a measure of adaptation to scarcity.

JUSTIFICATION
This issue is important because there are communities where there is no water, where it
what causes diseases in people who drink water
contaminated wells also affect agricultural droughts. The water
drinking water is essential for life. It is the most important liquid in nature without
which we could not live without, drinking water helps us to be healthy, to do the
digestion, keeps the muscles in good condition, acts as a refrigerant or
warming the body and helping to transport oxygen between the cells of our
Body, planet Earth is composed of 70% water, but almost entirely it is water.
salad. It is not good for human or animal consumption, so
such as for agriculture or industries. Water suitable for consumption is water
sweet, but it is quite scarce. Only 3% of the water on earth is drinkable, and the
most appears in the form of ice at the Earth's poles. That is why it is very
It is important to keep drinking water clean and to stop pollution. It is done
urgent care of drinking water in order to prevent diseases that
they reach human beings, animals, or agriculture in general. More than a thousand
millions of people around the world lack access to drinking water. 25 thousand
people die every day for not having clean drinking water near them
households. The quality of life of the population depends on access to goods
necessary for their survival. Drinking water, as well as wastewater,
are of fundamental importance to prevent and reduce the spread of
diseases related to lack of sanitation and health.

Viability
This research project cannot be carried out as there is no,
instruments, economic resources necessary for the research of scarcity
of the water.

HYPOTHESIS
H1. People waste more water in their homes.
The scarcity of water affects agriculture more.
Water is used more for watering plants
The scarcity of water generates new diseases.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

The dimensions that the problem of water scarcity is acquiring, in the face of
which, until not long ago, had received minimal attention, forces the
governments of countries around the world to consider with greater urgency the
take measures to mitigate the negative effects that this phenomenon could
to carry, not only at an environmental level, but also social and economic. More and more
conflicts resulting from water scarcity are more frequently observed in
the whole planet, which, as inferred, is also linked to the
climate change. "Such conflicts have come to be called 'wars of
water', since the intellectual and environmental activist Vandana Shiva (2003).

Water appears not only as the most prominent element of the landscape of the
region, but as its defining element. Furthermore, it acquires a deep
meaning for local populations; it is found to be strongly rooted in
its cosmology, its beliefs, its rituals, and ultimately, to multiple expressions
cultural. Caves, waterfalls, rivers, and lagoons are sacred places that
they populate the Huasteca landscape, while giving it a mythical character
(Hernández and Valle, 2012).

The contamination of aquifers and overexploitation generated to a large extent

due to the scarcity in some areas of high population concentration and growth
economic, causes 36 percent of the most important rivers to be
contaminated, and that 104 out of the 653 in the country are at risk of extinction
due to that overexploitation," (...) "Although in the National Water Plan 2007-2012,
during President Calderón's administration, there was a clear appreciation of the
concern about transferring the water issue to government policies,
situation that is in contradiction with the cultural practice of behavior
administrative (Rodríguez, 2009: 7).

According to Kloster and Alba (2007), the conflicts over water that have arisen in
Mexico, both in the countryside and in the cities, is related to processes
of centralization, decentralization, and resulting territorial and political fragmentation
from the economic crisis that in turn fuels social struggles; in addition to this,
Furthermore, the modifications established regarding the management of resources
natural resources, including water, have exacerbated these conflicts. This situation is the
what is observed in the study area of this research.
The dimensions that the problem of water scarcity is taking, before the
which until not long ago had received minimal attention, forces the
governments of countries around the world to consider with greater urgency the
take measures to alleviate the negative effects that this phenomenon could
entail, not only on an environmental level but also socially and economically. More and more
conflicts resulting from water scarcity are observed more frequently in
the entire planet, which, as inferred, is also linked to the
climate change. 'Such conflicts have come to be referred to as 'wars of
water', since the intellectual and environmental activist Vandana Shiva (2003)
will popularize such a concept. There are even those who have ventured to identify
some conflicts between countries -mainly in the Middle East- with disputes
for the appropriation of this resource, although the reasons presented are
they are wrapped in another type of justifications that range from the policies themselves
said, to the religious or the ethnic. It is also common to articulate such
confrontations surrounding two logics that conceive water in a way
completely opposite. The one that starts from first place is that which comes from
recognition of water as a commodity, to which a value is assigned
added change, turning it into a valuable and sought-after asset, which reaches
insert themselves into the marketing and merchandising networks and that, in
consequence, governments assume the need to control their management and
determine the conditions of its use. It is not surprising that the privatization of
this resource has become a measure that governments around the
The world is adopting with the intention of safeguarding its supply.

In another context are those for whom water is part of their

culture, a fundamental element in the worldview of its peoples, a resource
which has been vital for their reproduction, as occurs among local populations
from the Huasteca region, where the bond that connects is being disturbed
both parties: water and culture. Following this trend, in Mexico, water is
acquiring, in recent years, a high market value. They are found at
length and width of the territory of the Mexican Republic the cases in which water
constitutes the trigger for the emergence of conflicts due to its appropriation, its
management, its administration and its use. The privatization of water would be part of the
structural measures approved by the government, aimed at putting into hands
from the private sector and, therefore, from the market, the common goods that belong to
to the Mexican people. By implementing these policies not only do we
they increase the costs of services that until not long ago had been public, but
it infringes upon the rights of citizens, who are left without
basic services, such as water supply.
It is part of a definition of local conflict referred to antagonistic confrontation.
what occurs between two or more actors or agencies, in this case between the
local populations and the institutions responsible for administration and management
of hydraulic resources, being involved in a controversy that has
what to see with the competition for the use and control of resources, topic discussed
previously when considering the theoretical postulates of Ostrom (2011) and,
specifically for this work, of water.
The water shortage, caused by the irregularities and deficiencies committed
in relation to the utilization and use of the vital liquid, it has generated the
emergence of local conflicts in the Huasteca Potosina, between entities
municipal and state actors and social actors that, to this day, remain
latent, however, such scarcity occurs, paradoxically, in a region in the
that in some of its areas there is an abundance of water resources.
For local users, who mostly bear the weight of the
political decisions, which in the case of Huasteca have revealed deficiencies in the
regulation of water management and administration, the scarcity can be seen in the
two case studies referred to below and that
such an argument. It should be clarified that the wealth that in terms of water
is located in this region was essential when determining the space that
it was intended to be the largest barn in America
Latina: a space located between the states of San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas
and Veracruz. It is primarily due to the Pujal-Coy project from the year 1973 that
they created the New Ejidal Population Centers (NCPE) (up to 157) intended for
to accommodate the groups requesting land formed during that period. What
the most interesting aspect of all this is the lack of dialogue between them and the National Commission
of Water (CONAGUA) the institution responsible for locating newly formed families
arrivals and choosing, therefore, the most suitable place for it. This last one
it would mean the most serious mistake made in that instance. Despite the fact that
They conducted feasibility studies, but the technicians did not take into account, for many
cases, the difficulties of access and, above all, the total absence of
infrastructures that provide services and decent living conditions for the
new settlers. The conversations held with the settlers during the
fieldwork reveals the lack of rigor that was demonstrated.
instance when selecting some of the places where they were located
NCPE, indicating the shortcomings that marked the development of the project.
The new settlers, with the means they were able to provide themselves
from the natural environment, they took the initiative to build their own homes and it
necessary for these new population centers to function. They
they will specifically present the cases of the NCPE of Ponciano Arriaga and Pujal,
making special emphasis on the conflicts arising from scarcity or
even the lack of water, of which one has been able to notice, fundamentally,
thanks to the fieldwork carried out on them.
First of all, in the case of Ponciano Arriaga, protests occurred due to the
inefficient hydraulic network and due to the adverse situation they have had to face
the new inhabitants of this population center towards which, after almost
40 decades after its foundation, water for domestic consumption is still
transported from the Rock located 30 to 35 kilometers away, due to the lack of
hydraulic works that enable access to this resource more quickly
and effective.

The water -some of the locals state- arrived in this village every 1 or 2
months, there were even times when families were left without supplies
up to 3 months. The water that arrived at Ponciano Arriaga did so through the passage
through a pipe coming from the Tantoán River in Tamaulipas, which was delaying
greatly its transportation. This situation triggered an intense protest, without
embargo, when faced with such difficulties and not perceiving the arrival of
solutions from the responsible government institutions had to
develop a whole series of response and adaptation mechanisms to the environment.
with their backs to the government, the neighbors of this town decided to act on their own account.
own and this is declared by one of the participants: "we fought very hard
big because water from the Tampaón arrived, 100% contaminated, where it was the
nuclear thermoelectric, cements, everything" (interview in fieldwork,
January 27, 2015.
Even so, on multiple occasions, the water does not arrive; there is not enough to supply.
to all families, which causes great inconveniences, mainly
during the dry season, which are attempted to be resolved through the use of
seeds. This represents a small victory, but it is not enough. For this reason, it is not from
to miss that others admit that "we lack many things, we lack lands, still
the rich have them, they own all the land" (interview in fieldwork,
21/12/2014) and although great advances have been made for the village, they are
aware that many things are still necessary; hence a
Neighbor declares: "We hope to have drainage, to have water 24 hours a day.
day. The day I tell my wife: hey, let's install a water heater to
to bathe, that day is going to be very beautiful" (interview in fieldwork,
25/01/2015

SURVEY
1 How many times do you bathe? (*)

None
One
More than one
Would you reuse the water you use?
Yes
No
Would they use systems to save water?
Yes
No
How long does it take to take a shower?

From 0 to 5 minutes

From 5 to 10 minutes

From 10 to 20 minutes

More than 20 minutes

5 Are you aware of the economic expense of your water bill?

Yes, approximately how much
No
Are you aware of the current issues with water scarcity?
Yes
No
7 Do you know how many people die from water scarcity?
Yes
No
Who do you think is to blame for the water shortage?
The government

Private organizations
The user
Would you use an app on your smartphone that informs you about the
consumption, expenditure, and savings of water in your homes?

Yes
No
Would you like to know how you can save more money through reuse?
of the water?

Yes
No