Governor Víctor Manuel Castro Cosío opened the “Agua para BCS 2026” water forum on March 24 at the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur (UABCS) in La Paz, gathering specialists, academics, and students to tackle water access and conservation across the state. The two-day event, running through March 25, features keynote speeches, panel discussions, and workshops on water capture, distribution, and efficient resource management.
Aquifer Stress and Water Rationing in La Paz
Baja California Sur is the driest state in Mexico, and its capital city depends almost entirely on groundwater from the La Paz aquifer. That aquifer, recharged by rainfall in the Sierra de la Laguna mountains to the south, has been classified as over-exploited by CONAGUA (Mexico’s national water commission) for more than two decades. Less than 25% of residential and commercial buildings in La Paz currently have water meters, giving many users little incentive to conserve.
La Paz already operates under periodic water rationing schedules, with some neighborhoods receiving service only a few hours per day during peak dry season. The city’s well network has expanded from 835 to 1,176 wells under the current municipal administration led by Mayor Milena Quiroga, adding roughly 90 gallons per second to the system. Still, illegal taps and aging infrastructure continue to strain supply.
Forum Topics and Broader Context
The UABCS forum focused on three core areas: rainwater harvesting, aquifer recharge strategies, and modernization of distribution infrastructure. Panels also addressed the role of treated wastewater in reducing pressure on freshwater sources. The university campus sits on Boulevard Forjadores in La Paz, about two miles south of the Malecón waterfront.
The event comes as La Paz and Los Cabos both confront acute drought conditions heading into 2025’s dry spring months. A 40-kilometer aqueduct from El Carrizal, intended to supplement the city’s supply, has been described by water researchers as a temporary fix rather than a long-term solution. Experts from the Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste (CIBNOR), a federal research center based in La Paz, have long warned that urban growth into the southeastern portion of the basin threatens natural recharge zones.
The state government has not announced specific funding or new infrastructure projects resulting from the forum. Castro Cosío framed the gathering as a step toward coordinating academic research with government planning on water policy, according to the Baja California Sur state government website.