Exploring decentralized water governance solutions for climate-resilient planning in rural communities

By Dalia Vazquez

Introduction

San Isidro Canoas Altas is a rural community located on the lower western flank of El Pico de Orizaba (Citlaltépetl) in Puebla, Mexico. As the tallest mountain in Mexico and the third highest in North America, El Pico de Orizaba attracts many tourists, drawn by its impressive altitude of 18,491 ft above sea level. Visitors often rely on brigadistas or tourist guides from the Canoas Altas community for access to the mountain. Other locals work for the National State Park of El Pico de Orizaba, guiding tourists and serving as stewards of the land. Similarly, many community members also see themselves as stewards of the land, highly attuned to the changes in the environment and the tracks left behind by visitors. This deep connection to the mountain reflects their commitment to preserving its natural resources.

The community of San Isidro Canoas Altas is home to about 600 people, primarily campesinos who tend to the surrounding land. Water for household consumption in Canoas is provided through a gravity-fed system that transports it from Los Ojitos, a mountain spring that is born in the El Pico de Orizaba volcanic complex, to local cisterns. However, San Isidro Canoas Altas is now facing a water crisis, which is worsened by its location on the rainshadow side of the mountain and the compounded effects of climate change, including the rapid melting of the glaciers that used to cover the uppermost parts of El Pico de Orizaba (Cortes-Ramos et al., 2015).

Analysis

Water scarcity in Mexico is driven by inadequate infrastructure, socio-political factors, and neoliberal policies that exploit both urban and rural regions (Soares, 2021). The water crisis in San Isidro Canoas Altas thus exemplifies the broader implications of climate change and resource scarcity in the Global South. Viewing this crisis through the lens of Arturo Escobar’s (1996) critique of development reveals the need to reimagine development in the Global South. Escobar calls for a shift away from Western frameworks that treat rural communities as passive recipients of aid, advocating instead for approaches that emphasize local autonomy, self-determination, and active community participation in problem-solving.

This reimagined vision of development is reflected in San Isidro Canoas Altas, where the community has taken charge of its water resources through decentralized, community-led solutions. However, this local response also highlights a broader issue: neoliberal governance often shifts the burden of public services, such as water, onto marginalized communities, relieving governments of their responsibilities (Sletto and Nygren, 2015: 968). The situation in Canoas Altas illustrates the need for development models that prioritize local agencies and challenge external interventions that exacerbate systemic inequities.

To access water, the community has created its own gravity-fed system that channels water from Los Ojitos to the local cisterns. Although the town of Canoas Altas is part of the Chalchicomula de Sesma municipality and falls under its jurisdiction, the water distribution system is entirely community-driven and managed by the town’s local water committee. In response to increasing water scarcity, the committee has adapted the water scheduling system to what they believe ensures the most efficient use of the limited resources. However, during Juan Navarro’s term as Mayor from 2014-2018 government officials altered the valve and water distribution system, claiming it would improve water access. Instead, as semi-structured interviews with women and community leaders revealed, this worsened water scarcity and led to inequitable distribution of water to various areas of the community. A small group of women have come together to work collectively, but the unequal water distribution has created tensions in their relationships based on who has access and who does not.

Water scarcity in San Isidro Canoas Altas is deeply lived through the embodied experiences of the community, particularly among women who are the primary household water managers. Many women and their families have resorted to strict water conservation practices for cooking, cleaning, and laundry. Reusing water is common, with a minimum of three uses: for example, the water may first be used for washing dishes, then for laundry, and finally to either clean patios or flush toilets. Water is a deeply visceral resource, with women being highly attuned to the changes in the flow of the ojitos and the challenges this will present.

Implications

The severity of water scarcity in Canoas Altas is best understood through the daily realities of women, whose constant interactions with and management of household water reveal its profound challenges. The concept of ‘visceral geographies’ offers a richer understanding of how women in Canoas Altas physically and emotionally engage with water access and the strategies they employ to adapt to water shortages (Sweet and Ortiz Escalante, 2015). This framework, which emphasizes the sensory and emotional aspects of water scarcity, aligns with Arturo Escobar’s call for alternative development frameworks that center local knowledge and community participation. By integrating a deeper understanding of such visceral relations with natural resources into planning processes, the community’s efforts in managing water resources can be better understood and supported, fostering more inclusive and effective solutions that challenge external interventions that perpetuate inequities.

The adaptive strategies employed by residents underscore the importance of local knowledge and community-led water governance. The case also demonstrates the profound impact of climate change on local systems and resource availability, which planners and the community themselves must consider when developing sustainable solutions. Given San Isidro Canoas Altas’s challenges, planners should explore decentralized water management systems that leverage community participation and local knowledge. Decentralized water management can enhance resilience by allowing communities to tailor solutions to their specific needs and environmental conditions. This approach can also foster greater community ownership and responsibility, leading to more sustainable and effective water use practices. Additionally, integrating traditional knowledge with modern technologies can create innovative solutions that are culturally appropriate, feasible, and supported by their current infrastructure.

Planners should also consider the potential for community-led initiatives to address broader environmental and social issues. By supporting and facilitating such initiatives, planners can help build stronger, more cohesive communities that are better equipped to handle the impacts of climate change. This requires a shift from top-down planning approaches to more collaborative and participatory methods, where the voices and knowledge of local residents are valued and incorporated into decision-making processes (Nunbogu et al., 2017).

El Pico de Orizaba (Citlaltépetl) in Puebla, Mexico. Source: Photo taken by Dalia Vazquez and Carlos Ramos Sharron.

El Pico de Orizaba and Sierra Negra withSan Isidro Canoas Altas in thebottom right. Source: Photo taken by Dalia Vazquez andCarlos Ramos Sharron.

Repairinga water pipe. Source: Photo taken by Carlos Ramos Sharron.

Creating a map of the water distribution network with Canoas Altas residents Don Andrés Andrés Lomelín-Riveraand Anayelli Valdez. Source: Photo taken by Dalia Vazquez and Carlos Ramos Sharron.