Estimating the future hydric needs of Baja California, Mexico. Assessment of scenarios to stop being a region with water scarcity

Abstract This paper shows the actual conditions of freshwater availability in Baja California (BC), Mexico. It aims to estimate the water needs by 2030, and propose scenarios to move out of the scarce water region classification defined by international organizations. A population of 4.1 million people was defined for year 2030 as a target to provide at least 1,000 m3 of water per capita. As agriculture is the main water consumer in the region, empirical decomposition and optimization methods were used to define the trend line of the principal crops production and to establish the optimum conditions for planted surface reduction and water gain. The results show that by 2030, BC will need a total of 4,105 hm3 of water to be classified as a non-water scarcity region; in 2018, BC had 3,045 hm3 of renewable water per year, therefore 1,060 m3 will be needed. The best option in economic terms to attain this goal was the reduction of croplands in Mexicali with a cost of around 82 million US dollars. Although this option is the best quantitatively, the political and social implications of it are enormous; however, the correct management of the resource in critical conditions will require difficult decisions.</jats:p

From an environmental strategy to a national integrated coastal and ocean policy. The successful Mexican experience

This paper presents the general steps followed by the Mexican government towards the definition of a national integrated policy for oceans and coast. Due to the complex legal, regulatory and administrative frameworks related with the coastal zone and seas management in Mexico, in 2008 and by presidential instructions, a high level inter-ministerial commission for the sustainable management of seas and coast (CIMARES) was created. The main objective of the CIMARES Commission is provide the country with a National Policy for Seas and Coast, strength the governability of the marine/coastal regions, increase the productive capacity of the economic forces assuring environmental sustainability, promote transparency and public participation in the decision making process, as well as improve and harmonize the inter-governmental and inter-sectoral framework for action. The objective of this paper is to analyse the conformation and operation process of the CIMARES Commission, the problems and opportunities detected as a high level working group, and present the results obtained in terms of the construction and development of the Mexico´s National Policy for Oceans and Coast

Assessing coastal management case studies around Europe using an indicator based tool

Over 350 European Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) ‘best practice’ case studies are documented in the OURCOAST online public database, to ensure that lessons learned from experiences and practices are shared and improve coastal management practices. However, concrete criteria for ‘best practice’ are missing and a critical evaluation of the success of these case studies did not take place. We present an indicator-based tool and methodology that allows assessing the progress towards sustainability of ICZM measures. An indicator-based tool was applied to 18 thematically different coastal case studies using two different methods: a fast screening and an analysis in-depth assessment. Both methods used help to identify strengths and weaknesses of ICZM and their contribution to sustainable development. However, indicator scores were highly affected by evaluators’ background and perception. The tool is user-friendly and easy to apply, it indicates what progress has made towards sustainability and to which extent targets have been met