Management of water resources in a micro-basin of the western region of Mexico

In reference to the evolution of the administration of water resources in Mexico, it is possible to observe variations from centralist models to structures where there is social participation and a certain transparency in the management of resources. This work was developed with the purpose of analyzing the evolution of local water management in the last 25 years by the users of a micro-basin located in the South-Highlands region of the state of Jalisco Mexico. Through the concepts and methodology of the Analytical Framework of Governance, with which the most urgent problem is detected, the actors with the greatest influence, the places of management, the norms or rules of the game as well as the level of social participation in making decisions that affect the quality and availability of water in the study region includes interviews, surveys, and field trips. The results expose: strategic actors with resources and sufficient power to influence decision-making, few management spaces, variability in water rates, social perceptions that express concern about the quality and availability of drinking water, as well as the risks for human health by discharges of untreated wastewater, both from domestic and commercial origin, as well as from livestock farms and industries to the sources of supply of the micro-basin.