Scientific concepts and their political implications in the management of Mexico-U.S. Transboundary water courses: Transboundary Aquifer or Transboundary Groundwater?

Abstract

The transboundary aquifer concept envisaged in the United Nations Resolution 63/124 has had a significant impact on the evaluation of transboundary aquifers. In the Mexico-U.S.A. case, it has not been possible to officially determine the total number of shared aquifers, therefore, the evaluation of groundwater is to be settled; it represents a lack of conceptual clarity on the subject. This contribution from an interdisciplinary approach (political geography and hydrogeology) carries out an analysis based on scientific evidence and legal documents to determinethenatureofthecurrentconceptualdiscrepancies between the scientific definitions of transboundary aquifer and transboundary groundwater. Results suggest the need to incorporate a systemic vision on the transboundary groundwater management, as well as the scientific homologation of concepts and methodologies applied for both countries guarantee an integrated transboundary water management with societal participation.