“The springs are untouchable”: amid community management and government neglect, the last springs in peri-urban areas of Mexico City

Abstract

In Latin America, conservation is a subject that cannot be understood outside of the social processes that determine the different conceptions, uses and customs related to nature and water. Mexico is an example of ecosystem diversity, where rural populations see their homes and ecosystems threatened by the uncontrolled advance of urban sprawl. In addition, the lack of governance in water matters leaves both the ecosystem and people in a situation of vulnerability. The aim of this research was to determine the ecological and social indicators of the state of conservation and management of the springs within Mexico City’s Conservation Soils, through: ecological quality, biological diversity and the perceptions of rural-urban communities of water management resources. The springs were found to still conserve elements of good ecological quality and unique traits, making these sites hotspots of local diversity. However, ongoing activities endanger its integrity, such as in situ water extraction, the lack of local organization for water management resources and the poor presence of government institutions to support it. The establishment of a citizen and government participation system for water management is recommended, considering local economic development, socio-cultural complexity, ecosystem richness and fragility, and the socio-ecological context in which these water distribution mechanisms are established. Such actions should include a census of water bodies and the economic activities that depend on them, the ecological evaluation of actively used springs, and water distribution agreements at the local level that consider the previous points.