Private Hydropower and the Politics of Nature in Mexico's Sierra Madre Oriental Item Type text; Electronic Thesis Authors Silber-Coats, Noah Robert Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 01/10/2021 21:42:49 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/595608 Private Hydropower and the Politics of Nature in Mexico’s Sierra Madre Oriental by Noah Silber-Coats ____________________________ A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the SCHOOL OF GEOGRAPHY AND DEVELOPMENT In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 2015 1 STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This thesis has been submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for an advanced degree at the University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this thesis are allowable without special permission, provided that an accurate acknowledgement of the source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the head of the major department or the Dean of the Graduate College when in his or her judgment the proposed use of the material is in the interests of scholarship. In all other instances, however, permission must be obtained from the author. SIGNED: Noah Silber-Coats APPROVAL BY THESIS DIRECTORS This thesis has been approved on the date shown below: August 28, 2015 Diana Liverman Regents’ Professor School of Geography and Development August 28, 2015 Carl Bauer Associate Professor School of Geography and Development 2 Acknowledgements Doing qualitative research of this kind depends entirely on the willingness of the “research subjects” to share their knowledge, thoughts, and emotions with a complete stranger. For this reason, I want to thank everyone in Mexico who took the time to talk with me, fed me tortillas and mole, and invited me into their lives. Since most of those most deserving of my gratitude are mentioned in these pages under pseudonyms, I will not mention any names. The support and assistance of CEMDA was instrumental to completing this project, and for the introduction to this organization I am grateful to Margaret Wilder. Each of my committee members – Diana Liverman, Carl Bauer and Jeff Banister – provided valuable insight and feedback during fieldwork and writing that helped shape this document. All of my fellow graduate students at SGD deserve credit for making this a positive and engaging environment. In particular, my cohort-mates Emma Lawlor and Casey Lynch have provided excellent feedback and moral support throughout the process. Finally, I want to thank my partner, Willa Ahlschwede, and my parents for their love and support. 3 Contents Abstract ..................................................................................................................................... 8 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 10 Methodology .................................................................................................................... 18 Plan of the Thesis ............................................................................................................ 20 Chapter 2 - Towards a Political Ecology of the Water-Energy Nexus ................................... 22 Environmental Governance ............................................................................................. 22 Immanent Environmental Governance ............................................................................ 24 The Object(s) of Environmental Governance .................................................................. 25 The Politics of Technology.............................................................................................. 29 Hydropower and the Hydrosocial Cycle ......................................................................... 31 Hydropower and Energy Geographies ............................................................................ 34 Chapter 3: Hydropower Development - From High-Modernism to Neoliberalism ............... 37 Act 1: Rivers and Modernity ........................................................................................... 37 Act 2: Breakdown of the Hydraulic Mission? ................................................................. 39 Dam Impacts as Matters of Concern ............................................................................... 41 Act 3: Resurgent Hydropower ......................................................................................... 44 The Rise of Small Hydro ................................................................................................. 47 Chapter 4 – Hydro-History in Mexico: Capital, Hydrocracy and ‘Public Utiltity’ ................ 51 From Revolution to Nationalization ................................................................................ 56 Neoliberal Reforms .......................................................................................................... 61 Small, Private…Renewable? The Changing Face of Hydropower in Mexico ................ 67 Chapter 5 - The Bobos-Nautla: Making Space for Hydropower ............................................ 73 Grand Schemes and Local Dreams: Early Hydropower in the Bobos-Nautla ................ 76 Fragmented Hydropower Planning and the Production of ‘Magic Numbers’ ................. 84 Which Government? The Contradictions and Ambiguities of Environmental Permitting and Regulation ................................................................................................................. 87 Part 1: Clearing the Path .................................................................................................. 90 Part 2: Complications ...................................................................................................... 94 Chapter 6 - Hydropower and the Politics of Nature in the Bobos-Nautla: ........................... 100 Group Formation in Uneven Terrain ............................................................................. 100 Hydropower, Conservation and Property: The River Has No Owner? ......................... 103 Forming a Movement, Performing the Basin ................................................................ 108 No One Knows Who They Work For: Hydropower on the Jalacingo .......................... 116 Flow Politics: Divergent Water Narratives ................................................................... 121 Caudal Ecologico: Defining Minimum Flows, Constructing Abundance .................... 122 Scarcity, Change and Suffering: Local Water Knowledge ............................................ 125 Springs, Water Committees, and Hydropower Politics ................................................. 130 Epilogue and Conclusion ...................................................................................................... 135 Appendix A: Table of Hydropower Projects in Bobos-Nautla Basin ................................... 144 References ............................................................................................................................. 146 4 List of Figures 1. Graph of permits for private hydropower……………………………………68 2. Map of private hydropower projects…………………………………………72 3. Photo: Intake for Tlapacoyan’s water supply………………………………...77 4. Map of concessions for hydropower in Bobos-Nautla basin, 1924………….80 5. Map of “Minihydroelectric Potential of the Gulf Region.”……………….....86 6. Map of proposed hydropower projects in the Bobos-Nautla………………...87 7. Timeline of Hydropower in the Bobos-Nautla……………………………....99 8. Photo: Alianza members protest at a campaign rally……………………….104 9. Photo: Meeting in Mecacalco……………………………………………….115 10. Photo: landslide near Jalacingo River……………………………………..118 11. Photo: A spring in a rural community near Atzalan, Veracruz……………127 12. Photo: A comite de agua at the intake for their water supply. ……….…...129 5 List of Acronyms AMEH - Asociacion Mexicana de Energia Hidroelectrica (Mexican Association of Hydroelectric Energy) ANT - Actor-Network Theory CDM - Clean Development Mechanism CEMDA - Centro Mexicano de Derecho Ambiental (Mexican Center of Environmental Law/Rights) CFE - Comision Federal de Electricidad (Federal Electricity Comission) CNI - Comision Nacional de Irrigacion (National Irrigation Comission) CNFM - Comision Nacional de Fuerza Motriz (National Comission of Motor Force) CPNA - Coordinador Plan Nacional de Ayala CONAE - Comision Nacional de Ahorro de Energia (National Energy Saving Comission) CONAFOR - Comision Nacional Forestal (Nacional Forestry Comission) CRE - Comision Regulador de Energia (Energy Regulatory Comission CONAGUA (CNA)- Comision Nacional de Agua (National Water Comission) DGIRA - Direccion General de Impacto y Riesgo Ambiental (General Directorate of Environmental Impact and Risk) DGPAIRS - Direccion General de Politica Ambiental e Integracion Regional y Sectoral (General Directorate of Environmental Policy and Regional and Sectoral Integration) IFI - International Financial Institution INI - Instituto