The aqueducts of Querétaro, Mexico: cultural heritage of water that normalizes the scarcity caused

Abstract

This article analyzes how the construction of large hydraulic infrastructure projects conditions, reproduces, and reinforces unsustainable water management models in rapidly growing cities. We analyze the case of Querétaro, a city in central Mexico that faces challenges in terms of availability, quality, and access to water, despite having access to two major aqueducts for regional water transfer. The instrumentalization of the concept of heritage, both historical and cultural, in the case of these large-scale infrastructure projects, has allowed water management policy to be oriented towards satisfying unlimited demand through a narrative that normalizes scarcity, as well as highlights short-term benefits and hides the potential impacts on environmental sustainability and water justice. This, in turn, blurs the ecological, cultural, and social value of water as an integral part of historical and cultural heritage itself.