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

The paper examines water management in Nogales, Sonora, where interbasin transfers are used to combat scarcity driven by population growth and climate change. It highlights a system where wastewater is exported north to the US and south to the Alisos basin, the city's primary drinking-water source, leading to indirect potable reuse via aquifer recharge. The study concludes that these strategies increase water scarcity in Nogales and cause negative health, livelihood, and environmental effects in the source basin.

• Nogales, Sonora, manages water scarcity caused by population growth, climate warming, and 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 main source of drinking water, creating a system of indirect potable reuse through aquifer recharge once the treatment plant is fully operational.
• The use of interbasin transfers as a primary water management strategy in Nogales has led to increased water scarcity in the city and negative environmental, health, and livelihood impacts 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} }