WATER USE AND SUPPLY IN THE NORTHERN REGION OF BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO

Abstract

The demographic and economic growth in the northern region of the Mexican state of Baja California has led to increased water use and competition for this resource among diverse consumer sectors. The regional dynamism has made it increasingly difficult to meet the demand for water provision. The aim of this investigation was to allocate the water withdrawn from the Mexicali Valley and San Luis Río Colorado (SLRC) aquifers in a scenario of water scarcity among the various consumer sectors by municipality of the states of Baja California and Sonora, as well as to determine the price that would allow for a reduction in the amount of water taken from the aquifers. A spatial equilibrium model was formulated and validated, considering fixed supply and functions of demand. The 2019 results show that the total demand for water from municipalities in residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural and livestock sectors were 197.2, 21.7, 16.7, 758 and 5.7 hm3, with Tijuana standing out in the first three sectors, whereas Mexicali and SLRC were highlighted in the farming sector. Regarding the water price, the Tijuana, Tecate, and Ensenada municipalities pay a high tariff for its use, whereas Mexicali and SLRC pay the lowest tariffs. A 10 % reduction in water availability would be achieved if the price in the agricultural sector in Mexicali and SLRC increased by 20 and 22 %, respectively, over the base price. As the price rises, the demand in this sector for both municipalities would decrease by 2.6 %.