Up to 40% of the world population depends on transboundary aquifers, so the need to understand the concept of “shared waters” is increasingly important.

By Rosario Sánchez

Groundwater is strategic to face the drought crisis that is being experienced in different parts of the world. This source provides half of the basic water needs for domestic consumption in the world since it’s estimated that 40% of the world’s population depends on groundwater shared with other countries.

And if transboundary aquifers are so important, why are they so little discussed? Groundwater is the most exploited natural resource in the world, and the most important reserves are in shared basins to meet future demand.

A solution against the water crisis

“Enough is never going to be enough”: World’s population continues to grow and the amount of water on the planet remains the same. Around 2,200 million people worldwide do not have access to safe drinkable water and the quality of water that gets to us is increasingly lower.

There is no solution to drought, just a change in our way of thinking about water and our daily relationship with it. What can we do?

  • Negotiate water benefits.
  • Prioritize the quality and type of water.
  • Redefine priorities and consumption habits not only of water but of the supply chain of goods and food.
  • Establish the limits of water, especially in agriculture, and the minimum necessary for the survival of ecosystems.
  • Inclusion, transparency, and social and environmental responsibility in resource management.

We need water security, which means having the necessary resources, plans, tools, strategies, frameworks, and institutions to adapt to the condition of water scarcity. And for this to happen, there must be a change and a commitment of the population and governments’ as well.

This is the crisis of the current model. We do not have the means to adapt to what we are experiencing. I talked about this at the Foro Grupo Reforma El Norte/Reto Histórico: Agua para Nuevo León and you can listen in detail with examples of what is happening at the border between Mexico and the United States. You can see it at this link:

We must inform ourselves and take action to guarantee that we, and our children, can have good water quality. Tell me what you think and what actions you can take starting today!… Since we are all part of the problem, we are all part of the solution.