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In Mexico, groundwater availability has been decreasing, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. One way to address this decline is using Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) to boost aquifer recharge with stormwater or treated wastewater. Considering the impact that climate change can have on natural recharge, the implementation of MAR efforts in the Northwest region of Mexico would help maintain environmental services, halt seawater intrusion, and act as a source for potable service. However, according to state and municipal water managers, implementing MAR effectively would require improvements in the Mexican legal framework, aquifer recharge policies, and financial programs.
Mary-Belle Cruz Ayala earned her PhD in Arid Lands Resource Sciences at the University of Arizona. Currently, she is a post-doctoral researcher at the WRRC for the Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program. Her research has focused on assessing the role that governance plays in hindering or promoting projects to recover groundwater in Mexico. Cruz Ayala worked for the Mexican Federal Congress and participated in developing the Law of the Nation´s Water. She has collaborated on initiatives to integrate social, economic, legal, and scientific perspectives to improve public policy decisions regarding the allocation of natural resources.