41169 Public Disclosure Authorized

Integrated Management From Concepts to Good Practice Public Disclosure Authorized

Case Study 5

The Lerma-Chapala River Basin,

Public Disclosure Authorized Integrated Management Public Disclosure Authorized Acknowledgments

This Briefing Note Series was prepared by Peter Mil- lington, consultant, previously Director-General of the New South Wales Department of Water Resources and Commissioner on the Murray-Darling Basin Commission, Australia; Douglas Olson, World Bank Principal Water Resources Engineer and Task Manager for this Briefing Note Series; and Shelley McMillan, World Bank Water Resources Specialist.

Guy Alaerts (Lead Water Resources Specialist) and Claudia Sadoff (Lead Economist) of the World Bank provided valuable inputs.

The authors thank the following specialists for reviewing the Notes: Bruce Hooper and Pieter Huisman (consul- tants); Vahid Alavian, Inger Anderson, Rita Cestti Jean Foerster, Nagaraja Harshadeep, Tracy Hart, Karin Kemper, Barbara Miller, Salman Salman, Ashok Subramanian, and Mei Xie (World Bank staff).

The authors are also deeply grateful to the Bank-Nether- lands Water Partnership Program (BNWPP) for support- ing the production of this Series. River Basin Council Name ofOrganization: Lerma-Chapala

creation of basin councils throughout Mexico throughout creationcouncils ofto basin improve Nacionales), Aguas was approved. TheAct enforced the Water 1992, National December the (LeyAct, LAN de Three currentCouncil. yearsRiverBasin the later, in program. basin wasthe Council This predecessor a of from derived follow-up sub-programs of activities all and Consultative fora installed Council evaluation then and forWater Users. among Government agencies Allocation agreed to coordinate efforts their to Programa carry out five ofstates formally ments the basin share the that 1989, April In federal the govern the government and History of Establishment: launched in 1993. in launched was Council firstwas Basin the and to established, be userswater and among TheLerma-Chapala institutions. relationships enhance coordination and institutional -

Integrated river basin Management 1 Figure 5.1. Lerma-Chapala-Santiago River Basin 2 Main Economic Activities: River Basin Flow: Population: Economy: Area: Basin Characteristics rather shallow; its average depth is7.2 m,withamaximum surface area isabout110,000 ha(1,110 km maximum storage capacity of thelake is8.13 km est natural lake inMexico, 77 kmlongand23 kmwide. The The river endsinLake Chapala (1,510 masl),whichisthelarg plateau atanaltitude above 3,000 mabove sea level (masl). 750 km-longRiver Lerma originates inMexico’s central high basin isatropical region withanarea of 54,421km Mexico, Querétaro, , , and Michoacán. The The Lerma-Chapala Basin includes parts of thestates of chemical products. erages, pulp and paper, leather goods, petrochemical and industries relating to agricultural and dairy produce, bev Agriculture (maize, sorghum, wheat, barley, and garbanzo); The Gross Regional Product is approximately US$192 million. 11,300,000 the lake). Mean annualrun-off is4,740 millionm extracted for consumptive uses (includingevaporation from 1 billionm The discharge from thislake into theRiver Santiago isabout basin into fluctuates around 1.5billionm The total discharge of theRiver Lerma from its drainage Ocean (see figure 5.1). Chapala andflows westward, finallyreaching thePacific of just 16m.The 547km-long River Santiago arises from Lake 3 /yr. Approximately 5,135 millionm3/year are

2 ). The lake isalso 3 3 . andthe

2 . The 3 /yr. - -

Integrated river basin Management 3 Main Water Management Concerns: 4 1. Water Scarcity deficit, which endangers the very existence of the lake. According to environmental NGOs, the lake currently stands In the 1980s, demand for water in the river basin out- at only 37 percent of its total volume. Water pollution in stripped replenishment capacity and the river basin the lake is also large and increasing due to discharges of reached a condition known as closure. Conditions remain industrial wastewater, untreated domestic sewage, and critical. The water deficit is particularly severe in the agricultural chemicals, mainly from the Lerma River, which sub-regions of the Lerma system. Current estimates for receives wastewaters along large sections of its course. the aggregated deficit between available water and water The erosion caused by deforestation and by changes in demand are between 1.6 and 1.8 billion m3/yr. The situation land use across the Lerma Basin has led to an increased is further aggravated by low efficiencies in water use. The flow of sediments into the lake. This, in turn, has increased average estimated efficiency rate for the primary water- water turbidity, affecting the lake’s biological production. It using sector — agriculture — is only 45 percent, although has also contributed to the loss of depth, which is already the great majority of the “losses” are recycled and there- quite serious due to the decreases in the amount of water fore not “real” losses to the basin. The water deficit is be- supplied by the Lerma River. The shallowness of the lake has ing compensated through over-exploitation of groundwater increased its water temperature, leading to higher evapora- aquifers and lakes, which in turn leads to further degrada- tion rates. Increasingly, large areas of the lake’s surface are tion of the water resources base and the ecosystems. being invaded by water hyacinth. The water hyacinth limits light penetration into the water and constrains the free 2. Pollution movement of boats, thus affecting fishing and recreational activities. Although different studies catalogue the pollution The degradation of water quality occurs throughout the of the lake’s waters differently, it is acknowledged that the basin, causing public health problems and limiting water presence of organic matter, detergents, heavy metals, and availability, primarily due to eutrophication in the case of pesticides has decreased fish stocks. (Some endemic spe- the main water bodies. The Lerma-Chapala Basin is the cies, such as the popocha, are about to become extinct.) The major recipient of municipal wastewater in Mexico, receiv- lake’s pollution also poses a threat to human health through ing approximately 48,000 tons of BOD per year. Currently the consumption of contaminated fish and is an economic only about 30 percent of the municipal wastewater is being challenge for the more than 2,000 local residents who still treated. Based on data from the National Water Commission depend on fishing for their livelihoods. Because of the large (CNA), 52 percent of the surface water resources are consid- accumlation of contaminants in the lake sediments, improv- ered to be highly contaminated, 39 percent are moderately ing the lake’s water quality is a much bigger challenge than contaminated, and only 9 percent are of acceptable water just reducing the pollution inflow. quality. In the upper and middle Lerma sub-basins, where industry is the major water polluter, the highest levels of 4. Alterations to the Basin Ecosystem pollution are reported. Land-based activities, urbanization, land degradation 3. Alterations to Lake Chapala including deforestation, the expansion of irrigated agricul- ture together with unsustainable use of the basin’s water Lake Chapala has suffered severe degradation and signifi- resources and heavy pollution discharges have negatively cant changes over the last three decades. The lake level has impacted the ecosystem’s health by altering the hydrologi- been decreasing progressively because of the high water cal balance of the basin. ing pollutionloads. use andreturning these to theriver systems andby reduc removing significant amounts of water from productive balance between resource utilization andprotection by courses, and its coastal zone. The second isto restore a tiago Basin for theprotection of thelake, thefreshwater policies, plans, andprograms for theLerma-Chapala-San land-based environmental concerns into development There are two major challenges. The first isto incorporate the coastal zone iscalled for to solve these problems. An integrated approach to management of thebasin and

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Integrated river basin Management 5 Type of Organization: 6 Under the 1992 National Water Act (LAN, or Ley de Aguas Nacionales), river basin councils are fora where different fed- eral, state, and private interests can get together and discuss water-related issues. These councils do not have execution or operational responsibilities and are not responsible for financial resource allocation. The different state and federal agencies, particularly CNA, are supposed to gear their programs to be in line with the deliberations of the councils. In practice, this has not worked very well, and the new 2003 LAN purports to strengthen these councils and to better align work programs of the different agencies with the council deliberations. The new law establishes basin organiza- tions under CNA that have a degree of autonomy from the central administration and that are to directly carry out the decisions of the councils. A new water financing system authorized under the law intends to align financing with council decisions. The provisions of the new LAN have yet to be implemented.

The Lerma-Chapala River Basin Council is a participative organization with one voting member from each of the states and one voting representative from each of the different types of water users. The federal agencies involved do not have a vote. the basin – could be substantially reduced substantially be could by– improvingbasin the are effectsrecurrent which the – of floods events in addition, In of data. reliable lack cause: the major to one unsuccessful. notably largely attributed is been This has Theenforcement of waterbasin the in regulations quality of several means periodicals. by reaches generalTheCouncil public the making. sion analyze todifferent deci help to scenarios support and are available models optimization and simulation as such InformationCenter. Different systems tools engineering costs, water and Lerma-Chapala by the users managed is hydrological the Dataon cycle, water availability, water created. share members been costs All information. and informationsystem inter-institutional riverbasin A has Systems 2. for Water-related Data waterefficient use. are toundertaken achievepateactions rationaland and createdhave been also where groundwater users partici official members.council become Aquifer committees will water six general elects assembly the users turn, who In every In case, committee representatives. each its elects complex,areinterests as the water driveeach that use. arrangedby water state. and use structure veryIts is Assembly, Regional work committees, subcommittees and groups were support created. Water users have General a specialty it, groupConsultativewithin of Council; the sectors. user continuesto It ratify technical working the stategovernorsrepresentatives six and of different water state-owned the company), five oil all well as as CNA, and ofFederal Mexican (Pemex,Commission, Oil Electricity dustry,Federation the Comptroller Directors General, the Credit, Energy, Public and sury State-owned and Mines In Resources,Trea Fisheries, Development, Social Health, integratedMinistersby the of AgricultureHydraulic and existed has years.it organization; 11 basin for only was It relatively a new is Council RiverBasin TheLerma-Chapala 1.

Conceptual and Institutional Issues ConceptualInstitutional and

- - - - with users. Throughumbrella extensivewith an discussions, reservoiraccordance in and operation, water distribution for force.rules in been mathematical has established It surface a agreement water 1991, distribution Since CNA. basin’s the water sector, with upon agreed been has for improving lines strategies, objectives, action and Hydraulicthe Program,defines Basin River A which Strategies Policies and 3. Basin-wide analyzedata. hydrological meteorological and and to model dataand to used provide of quality facilitiesequipment the and evaluation and monitoring of the organization’s activities. sin Council to introduce effective systems for performance Efforts are being made by CNA and the Lerma-Chapala Ba Assessing 5.and Sustainability Monitoring to federal CNA. ments,and addition in entities, recreation), industrial, municipal, state (irrigation, govern water included usershas and reasonably good been has Council’s the in Participation activities implemented. be yet is tolevel, this riverbasin but the at making decision (CNA).provisions to includes Thenewstrengthen LAN level very centralized still is national the making at sion ofwater common management resources. However, deci to progressled for consensus has the Council building in RiverBasin Lerma-Chapala ofTheestablishment the Participation and 4.Communication credits. international and domestic private the sector, including related parties, as well as investment and from all time,participation, significant required offacilities.has treatment This introduction Water the Basin River Program specifies Quality that overexploitation. ofaquifer reduction a Therealso is respectto areagroundwater and with basin allocation state forthe each in upon agreed been has regulation

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Integrated river basin Management 7 Tasks of the Organization and Staff Complement: 8

According to the LAN, which states the legal basis for ● Distribution of water among users according to the creation of the river basin councils, the tasks of the the water allocation policy organization are: “instances of coordination and orchestra- ● Improvement of water quality by treating municipal tion between the three levels of government (federal, state raw effluents and municipal) and the representatives of water users, ● Increasing water-use efficiency better management of water bodies, the development of ● Conserving the river basin system. hydraulic infrastructure and of the respective services, and the preservation of the basin’s resources.” Essentially, the The organization of the Lerma-Chapala River Basin Council four main objectives of the Council are: is presented in figure 5.2.

Figure 5.2. Organization of the Lerma-Chapala River Basin Council

River Turbio Governmental President User Groups Commission Groups Director General CNA Irrigation Guanajuato Potable Water Cotas Jalisco Industrial Mexico State Acuaculture Services Michoacán Fishing Querétaro Querétaro Technical Querétaro Secretary Amazcala General Region Huimilpan Users Assembly

Guanajuato Celaya Users’ State Laguna Seca León Monitoring and Evaluation Group Committees Silao-Romita CNA, SEMARNAP, SEDESOL, SAGAR, CFE, PEMEX, Users and Academia Pénjamo-Abasolo Salvatierra-La Cuevita Río Turbio Acámbaro-Cuitzeo Moroleón-Ciénega P. Río Laja Specialized Groups Tripartite Governmental Procurement Committee Information Sanitation Irrigation Districts Center Users Basin Use Efficiency 011, 087 and 085 Commission of Soil and Water Conservation Lake Chapala Sustainable Development Mixed Group Mixed Group Users Governmental Please checktheupcoming WBI trainingevents. Washington, D.C.20433,U.S.A. www.worldbank.org/wbi/water First printing THE WORLD BANK 1818 HStreet, N.W. Copyright ©2006 All rightsreserved February 2006

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