The water scarcity It is a growing problem in Mexico, especially in the Arid states of the North. Some areas of Sinaloa, Sonora, Chihuahua y Coahuila They currently face one “Exceptional drought”which is the most serious level according to the Drought Monitor from Mexico of the federal government.
In March, USA He refused to release water from Colorado River Towards Mexico in response to breach of resource distribution obligations. It was the first time in the 80 years of the binational agreement that this measure was taken. He April 28Mexico announced that it will fulfill its water distribution commitments.
Analysis
Like other vital resources – such as oil and wood – water is being exploited by criminal groups in different areas of Mexico. The limited capacity of the government to monitor the distribution sources and networks, added to the probability of future droughts, provides for the Water theft It will continue and even increase.
A report of the National Water Commission (Conagua) cited by The Sun of Mexico identified 5,000 illegal shots In water pipes in the north of the country, almost triple those detected five years ago. In March 2024, authorities of the Mexico City proposed legal reform to increase sanctions for these illegal shots, in the midst of a period of Water shortage.
In addition to Water theftthe groups of racketeering They also control their distribution. During a field work Insight Crimecarried out in Culiacán, Sinaloain April of this year, various sources pointed out that criminal groups – in particular the faction of The Chapitos of the Sinaloa poster– They were imposing an illegal charges on commercial distributors of water and forcing redistribution under their own terms, which affects both prices and safety.
He Criminal water distribution control It also allows the groups to extort farmers. According to a recent report from The impartialhe Sinaloa poster and the Mazatlecos They use threats to take control of Irrigation systems that manage the distribution of water in the agricultural fields and that store information about the amount of crops planted and the volume of water that each producer requires. Then, they use this data to demand payments in exchange for maintaining the water supply.
The drought which affects Mexico could make the Water theft increase in parallel to the price of the resource. He huachicoleo -The fuel robbery intensified when gasoline prices were high, suggesting that higher gain margins promoted robberies. Only in Sinaloathe price of water increased almost a 5% last year.
