Water Scarcity and Grassroots Interventions in Oaxaca, Mexico
Faculty Mentor
E.D. Dascher
Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
4-14-2026 2:00 PM
End Date
4-14-2026 4:00 PM
Location
PUB NCR
Primary Discipline of Presentation
Urban and Regional Planning
Abstract
Increased demand and decreased supply have created a dire water resources challenge in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, intensifying socio-economic inequality and environmental degradation. Oaxaca City recently reported its lowest well water levels due to a myriad of environmental, political and economic factors that continue to threaten water availability. This project provides a recent historical overview of the City of Oaxaca’s water supply and highlights the causes of the water shortage, including climate change, urban growth, gentrification, aging water infrastructure, mismanagement, lack of funding, deforestation and the city’s high level of impermeable surfaces. The City of Oaxaca’s booming tourist industry also contributes to the increased demand. Water is disproportionally channeled to restaurants, hotels and vacation rentals, prioritizing tourists over residents. Economically disadvantaged neighborhoods are typically the last communities to receive city water deliveries and receive less water than neighborhoods of higher socioeconomic status and tourist areas. Those who can afford additional water deliveries rely on private companies to supply water, exacerbating economic and social disparities. The privatization of water has intensified these inequalities. Despite these problems, grassroots initiatives have been effective in meeting some of the communities’ immediate water needs. Communities are collaborating to build resistance to the water shortage by creating affordable, low-tech measures to recycle water and to collect rainwater. These measures, in addition to education campaigns, have helped residents to both conserve and provide more accessible sources of water.
Recommended Citation
Sherwood, Amorette, "Water Scarcity and Grassroots Interventions in Oaxaca, Mexico" (2026). 2026 Symposium. 48.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2026/ps_2026/p3_2026/48
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Water Scarcity and Grassroots Interventions in Oaxaca, Mexico
PUB NCR
Increased demand and decreased supply have created a dire water resources challenge in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, intensifying socio-economic inequality and environmental degradation. Oaxaca City recently reported its lowest well water levels due to a myriad of environmental, political and economic factors that continue to threaten water availability. This project provides a recent historical overview of the City of Oaxaca’s water supply and highlights the causes of the water shortage, including climate change, urban growth, gentrification, aging water infrastructure, mismanagement, lack of funding, deforestation and the city’s high level of impermeable surfaces. The City of Oaxaca’s booming tourist industry also contributes to the increased demand. Water is disproportionally channeled to restaurants, hotels and vacation rentals, prioritizing tourists over residents. Economically disadvantaged neighborhoods are typically the last communities to receive city water deliveries and receive less water than neighborhoods of higher socioeconomic status and tourist areas. Those who can afford additional water deliveries rely on private companies to supply water, exacerbating economic and social disparities. The privatization of water has intensified these inequalities. Despite these problems, grassroots initiatives have been effective in meeting some of the communities’ immediate water needs. Communities are collaborating to build resistance to the water shortage by creating affordable, low-tech measures to recycle water and to collect rainwater. These measures, in addition to education campaigns, have helped residents to both conserve and provide more accessible sources of water.
