Interbasin water transfers at the US-Mexico border: City of Nogales, Sonora: implications for aquifers and water security

This research paper examines the use of interbasin water and wastewater transfers in Nogales, Sonora, to manage water scarcity driven by population growth, climate warming, and institutional asymmetries. It specifically analyzes the export of wastewater to the US and the Alisos basin, concluding that these strategies exacerbate water scarcity in Nogales and cause negative health, environmental, and livelihood impacts in the source basin.

• Nogales, Sonora, manages water scarcity caused by a growing population, climate warming, and cross-border institutional asymmetries through interbasin water and wastewater transfers.
• Since August 2012, Nogales has exported wastewater south to the Alisos basin, which serves as the city's primary source of drinking water; once the associated treatment plant is fully operational, this will lead to indirect potable reuse through the recharge of the source-water aquifer.
• The use of interbasin transfers as a primary water management strategy in Nogales increases water scarcity and leads to adverse environmental, health, and livelihood effects within the source basin.

APA

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (2025). Interbasin water transfers at the US-Mexico border: City of Nogales, Sonora: implications for aquifers and water security. https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/interbasin-water-transfers-at-the-us-mexico-border-city-of-nogales-sonora-implications-for-aquifers-and-water-security/

Chicago

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. Interbasin water transfers at the US-Mexico border: City of Nogales, Sonora: implications for aquifers and water security. 2025. https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/interbasin-water-transfers-at-the-us-mexico-border-city-of-nogales-sonora-implications-for-aquifers-and-water-security/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |title=Interbasin water transfers at the US-Mexico border: City of Nogales, Sonora: implications for aquifers and water security |date=16 January 2025 |url=https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/interbasin-water-transfers-at-the-us-mexico-border-city-of-nogales-sonora-implications-for-aquifers-and-water-security/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{interamericaninstituteforglobalchangeresearch2025interbasin, author = {{Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}}, title = {{Interbasin water transfers at the US-Mexico border: City of Nogales, Sonora: implications for aquifers and water security}}, institution = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, year = {2025}, month = jan, url = {https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/interbasin-water-transfers-at-the-us-mexico-border-city-of-nogales-sonora-implications-for-aquifers-and-water-security/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }