MWF 2026 - Impact Report

IMPACT REPORT

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Water is no longer just an environmental concern, it has become a defining factor for human survival and business continuity alike. The World Resources Institute projects a 56% gap between global water supply and demand in the coming years.

While governments focus on accelerating economic progress, this widening deficit poses an existential threat for economic development. In Mexico, over 42.8% of its territory suffered severe drought conditions in 2025.

If the country aims to elevate living standards and fulfill its economic ambitions, water security must be treated as a collective responsibility.

Navigating this challenge requires immediate and coordinated action from both the government and the private sector.

The inaugural edition of the Mexico Water Forum, a high-level B2B and public-policy platform, brought together the architects of Mexico’s water landscape, bridging key political and regulatory authorities, C-suite executives, and private-sector innovators. During the one-day event, the forum’s discussions centered on four pillars: regulatory evolution, industrial circularity, public-private financing, and agricultural modernization.

Leaders analyzed the legal landscape, anchored by the recent reforms to the National Waters Law and the federal guidelines of the National Water Plan.

Panels debated how industrial operations must adapt to stricter CONAGUA enforcements, restricted water-right transfers, and the mandates of the National Agreement for the Human Right to Water. Rather than viewing these legal hurdles as operational bottlenecks, discussions highlighted how transitioning toward zero-liquid-discharge models and circular water recycling systems can simultaneously ensure compliance and guarantee long-term business continuity.

4

C onference I mpact

134

companies

189

conference participants

4

23

sponsors

speakers

5,660

1st

visits to the conference website

Edition

Breakdown by job title Conference social media impact 32.3% Manager / Lead / Coordinator 25.4% Associate / Consultant / Analyst 24.9% Director / Head / Partner 17.5% President / CEO / Founder / Co Founder

Pre-conference social media impact

3,570 direct impressions during MWF

53,070 direct pre-conference LinkedIn impressions

5.1% click through rate during MWF

5.1% pre-conference click through rate

8.2% conference engagement rate

6.9% pre-conference engagement rate

Matchmaking Mexico’s leading B2B conference organizer uses a customized app to deliver an unparalleled experience The MBE App delivered AI-powered intent-based matchmaking to Mexico Water Forum 2026 attendees

MBE App Impact

Matchmaking intentions

122

participants

343

matchmaking communications

85

1:1 meetings conducted

Total

1,301

1,301 Networking

5

C ompany Attendance •

Echeverria Asociados

•

ERM MEXICO

•

ACCIONA ENERGÍA

•

FBV INC.

•

Agua Capital

•

Fiber Glass Systems - Golden Energy de Mexico

•

Alianza Team

•

Garrigues

•

ALS Consultoría

•

GIZ - German Technical Cooperation

•

Ambición00

•

Gloria Ponce de León & Hernandez (GP&H)

•

AMHPAC

•

Gobierno del Estado de Veracruz

•

Asociacion de Negocios e Industria Verde A.C.

•

Grupo Financiero Banorte

•

Asociación Nacional de Empresas de Agua y Saneamiento (ANEAS)

•

GRUPO INDERS

•

GRUPO MURLOTA

•

Autodesk

•

Grupo Presidente

•

Ayesa

•

Grupo Rotoplas

•

B2V Media

•

Grupo U

•

BANCO MONEX

•

HEINEKEN MEXICO

•

Bayer Crop Science

•

HERMES INFRAESTRUCTURA

•

BBVA México

•

Holland House Mexico

•

Becerril, Coca & Becerril

•

ICA

•

Black & Veatch

•

IGSA

•

BN Americas

•

IKEA México (IKANO Retail México)

•

Bray Valvulas de Mexico

•

•

Business France

INSTITUTO DE DESARROLLO ACUICOLA DE BAJA CALIFORNIA

•

Cámara Verde LATAM

•

•

Camimex

Instituto Mexicano de Sostenibilidad e Ingeniería Ambiental

•

Carbonof

•

International SOS

•

Casa Llena

•

Ion Specialites

•

CEDES Sonora

•

IPS

•

Class

•

JWA

•

CMM

•

Kiewit

•

Cobra IH / TEDAGUA (Grupo Cobra)

•

Kilimo

•

Cognitus IT Solutions

•

KOTRA

•

Colegio Mexicano de Ingenieros en Irrigación (Comeii)

•

KPMG

•

Columbia University

•

KPMG Cárdenas Dosal, S.C.

•

COMISION ESTATAL DE AGUAS Y SANEAMIENTO DE COAHUILA

•

Lake Texcoco Ecological Park

•

Latin American Green Chamber of Commerce

•

Comisión Nacional del Agua

•

MARCOL

•

CONAGUA

•

MexBeb

•

CONCRETOS SUSTENTABLES MEXICANOS SA DE CV

•

Michelin

•

Consejo Consultativo del Agua

•

Mitsui de México

•

Coppel

•

MONEX

•

Corporación Hidro Industrial

•

Mujeres WIM de México

•

Country Managers

•

Myzelio

•

Cox

•

NADER HAYAUX & GOEBEL

•

Daikin Latin American Division

•

Nader, Hayaux & Goebel

•

Driscoll's

•

NANOXPHARMA

•

Dubai Chambers Mexico

•

Nestlé

•

Dutch Clean Tech

•

Neuma

•

Ecolab

•

NOROC S de RL

•

Econova

•

NOTIPRESS

•

EcoVadis

•

Ontario Office in Mexico

•

Embajada del Reino de los Paises Bajos

•

Orbia

•

Embassy of The Netherlands

•

Organismo de Agua y Saneamiento de Toluca

•

Endress+Hauser México

•

ORU - Oficina de Resiliencia Urbana

6

C ompany Attendance •

PALO IT

•

SINDA

•

Phillip Morris

•

South Pole

•

PMI

•

Sr. Consultant Water & Land Stewardship

•

PONTONES & LEDESMA

•

Summum Projects México S.de RL de CV

•

Portela

•

TeraBites

•

Pura

•

Texas Europea Chamber Of Commerce

•

Québec Government Office in Mexico

•

The Coastal Trust

•

Registro Medición y Monitoreo

•

Ticket for Change / Nosotrxs

•

Ritch Mueller

•

Toroto

•

ROCAL

•

Tuto Power

•

Rotoplas

•

UG21

•

SAMSON CONTROL

•

UN Environment Programme

•

Secretaría de Economía

•

Veolia Mexico

•

Secretaria de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales de Hidalgo

•

Viwala

•

Water Security Center - UNESCO

•

Servicios Administrativos Peñoles

•

WIM MEXICO

•

Siemens Energy

•

WTS Energy México

•

SIGEA

7

P rogram

W E D N E S D AY, M AY 2 0 08:30

NATIONAL AGREEMENT FOR THE HUMAN RIGHT TO WATER AND SUSTAINABILITY

Speaker: Luis Huacuja, CONAGUA 09:20

PARCHED PLANET: WHY THE TIME FOR WATER ACTION IS NOW

Moderator: Enrique Lendo, UN Environment Programme Panelists: Francisco Núñez, Ministry of Economy

Eduardo Vázquez, Agua Capital

Denis Reboul, Veolia en Mexico

Andre Driessen, Embassy of the Netherlands 10:15

REDEFINING WATER GOVERNANCE: A COLLECTIVE PATH TO RESILIENCE

Moderator: Jorge Arriaga, Water Security Center under the auspices of UNESCO Panelists: Valeria Bustamante, Pontones & Ledesma

Irvin de la Cruz, Philip Morris Mexico 12:00

WITHOUT WATER, THERE IS NO INDUSTRY: WHY CIRCULARITY IS THE ONLY WAY

Speaker: Bernardo Villasuso, Ecolab Mexico 12:15

SOFT INFRASTRUCTURE: A GARDENER’S LOGIC IN THE LAKE TEXCOCO ECOLOGICAL PARK Speaker: Iñaki Echeverría, Lake Texcoco Ecological Park

12:30

WATER CIRCULARITY IN MEXICO: THE REGULATORY TIPPING POINT

Speaker: Brenda Rogel, Ritch Mueller 12:45

BUSINESS FOR WATER: BALANCING OPPORTUNITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY

Moderator: Vicente Rodríguez, MexBeb Panelists: Inti Pérez, HEINEKEN Mexico

Luis Hernández, Niagara Bottling

Maria Elena Giner, Black & Veatch

Juan Pablo Rodríguez, Rotoplas Servicios de Agua

Miguel Medina, Nestlé Mexico 15:00

SHAPING AGRICULTURE’S FUTURE, ONE DROP AT A TIME

Moderator: Carmen Guerrero, Sr Consultant Water & Land Stewardship Panelists: Waldo Ojeda, Colegio Mexicano de Ingenieros en Irrigación (Comeii)

Julio López, Bayer Crop Science

Esteban Macias, Grupo U

Isabel Taylor, Kilimo

Check the panel/presentation’s highlights on mexicobusiness.mx clicking on the icon

8

NATIONAL AGREEMENT FOR THE HUMAN RIGHT TO WATER, SUSTAINABILITY Facing a water-stressed environment

databases. Under a national inspection

and deteriorating climate conditions,

initiative, regulators have conducted 3,912

CONAGUA is accelerating the execution

audit visits, resulting in 490 closures and

of the National Agreement for the Human

suspensions of unauthorized extraction sites.

Right to Water and Sustainability. This federal strategy coordinates regulatory

To streamline administrative bottlenecks, the

overhauls, infrastructure modernization,

implementation of a Unified Digital Window

and environmental remediation projects

has reached a 90% completion rate. This

projected through 2030 to ensure water

digitization process began with groundwater

security for the population.

and surface water permits, extensions, and modifications, aiming to automate 100%

Water distribution in Mexico places the

of CONAGUA’s administrative workflows.

agricultural sector as the primary consumer,

“Digitalization and modernization provide

accounting for 76% of national extractions.

public administration with better tools to

Public-urban use accounts for 15%, while

create more efficient and, crucially, more

industrial operations and energy generation

transparent processes,” Huacuja stressed

consume the remaining 9%. Luis Antonio Huacuja, Head of Office for the Coordination

Parallel to this digital transition, the federal

of the National Agreement for the Human

Facilities Decree aims to regularize 63,000

Right to Water, CONAGUA, explained that

water titles. This measure is designed

the federal framework operates across four

to provide legal certainty to small and

primary mandates: mitigating climate impact,

medium-sized agricultural producers,

establishing resource sovereignty, ensuring

facilitating their access to public subsidies

equitable water access, and enforcing

and commercial credit.

transparent management.

Federal tracking indicates that voluntary volume relinquishments, industrial optimization agreements, regulatory penalties, and the reorganization of concessions have successfully reclaimed 4,475 million m 3 of water. This recovered volume will be redirected to bolster public-urban supply networks, authorities say.

What Are the Main Features of the National Program for Irrigation Technification?

In the agricultural sector, the National Program for Irrigation Technification outlined an investment surpassing MX$63 billion (US$3.6 billion) between 2025 and 2030. The target is to modernize more than 200,000ha across 18 irrigation districts. Notable Huacuja explained that a central component

intervention zones include Rio Colorado,

of this strategy involves restructuring water

Delicias, Valle del Yaqui, Rio Fuerte, Culiacan-

concessions to address severe administrative

Humaya, Alto Rio Lerma, and Bajo Rio Bravo.

backlogs, which previously left 145,000

These infrastructure works are projected to

procedures stalled due to incompatible

benefit 225,000 users and recover 2,800

digital tracking systems and unreliable

million m3 of water.

9

“Irrigation technology is one of the most

of this agreement. Even the embassies of

critical areas because it directly impacts

several countries have approached us,”

water efficiency. The right technology yields

Huacuja added.

favorable outcomes for both people and the agrifood industry,” Huacuja said, noting that

Among the specific initiatives executed under

international experiences such as Spain’s

this shared-cost architecture, the ecological

and The Netherlands’ are key to gathering

restoration of the Lerma Wetlands involved

previous knowledge and serve as important

a MX$5 million investment alongside Envases

references for how a country can achieve

Universales and Pro Natura to protect the

successful results.

habitat of the endangered Yellowthroat bird. “Efforts in water management have a

For the 2026 fiscal period, the government

multiplier effect, benefiting not only humans

set a budget of MX$4 billion for the

but also endemic species,” he added.

ecological restoration and sanitation of the Tula, Atoyac, and Lerma-Santiago river

Similarly, a sanitation program in Guanajuato

basins. This funding is part of a broader

managed in coordination with Michelin

public portfolio comprising 37 strategic

resulted in the extraction of approximately

infrastructure projects distributed across

2,000 discarded tires from riverbanks for

all 32 Mexican states, representing a total

industrial recycling. In Morelos, a partnership

multi-year public investment of MX$186.6

with Rotoplas deployed MX$1 million to

million and the projected creation of more

install advanced irrigation systems in the

than 65,000 jobs.

community of El Naranjo.

Successful Public-Private Projects

A joint initiative with Comex directed MX$3 million toward painting 28 community murals

The national framework also relies on

and hosting 10 educational workshops

public-private alignment, leveraging co-

to address sanitation challenges in the

investment models with corporations to

Atoyac River basin. Finally, Heineken Mexico

execute environmental responsibility projects

allocated MX$16 million to a water balancing

in critical watersheds. This mechanism has

and replenishment project in the Colorado

registered MX$21 billion in cumulative

River Delta basin, focusing on community

private investment. “Through technological

apiculture and habitat revegetation. “Concern

innovation, we are seeing joint projects

over water issues is real and urgent; involving

with companies and institutes. In fact, there

diverse stakeholders is vital, and that is why

has been no need to seek out companies;

we see the private sector a crucial ally for the

they are the ones reaching out to be part

government,” Huacuja concluded.

PARCHED PLANET: WHY THE TIME FOR WATER ACTION IS NOW While recent tropical cyclone seasons

Industrial leaders and policymakers are

have brought temporary, localized relief

shifting away from reactive measures toward

to reservoirs, long-term climate modeling

internationally proven water-efficiency

indicates that structural water scarcity

technologies and structured co-investment

remains a primary risk factor for operations

models to insulate critical supply chains from

in Mexico. As Enrique Lendo, Coordinator of

hydrological volatility without sacrificing

Mexico’s Projects Portfolio, UN Environment

productive capacity.

Programme, warned: “Mexico is registered as the country with the highest temperature

Projections from meteorological authorities

increase over the last three decades. In some

indicate a clear trend toward regional rainfall

zones, we are going to experience 3-4°C

volatility and prolonged periods of high

more within the next 20 years. The urgency

thermal stress. Eduardo Vázquez, Executive

could not be greater.”

Director, Agua Capital, framed the stakes:

10

“The droughts of 2023 in the north, and the

economic zones. The core challenge is

water crisis in the Valley of Mexico in 2024,

geographic asymmetry; the northern,

are alerts showing we must take different

central, and northwestern regions contain the

measures. We need an approach focused

majority of Mexico’s industrial clusters and

on adaptation, not just reacting after the

population, yet they hold only a small fraction

damage is already done.”

of the country’s renewable water resources.

Compounding these climate pressures, the

Data from CIEP indicates that 13.7% of the

federal government elevated water to the

nation’s hydrological basins have reached

status of a national security priority through

critical availability thresholds, with states like

the 2024–2030 National Water Plan, derived

Baja California, Chihuahua, Aguascalientes,

from Plan México and the 2025–2030

and Zacatecas experiencing the highest

National Development Plan, making access

levels of hydrological stress. Lendo reinforced

to the resource a state priority. However,

the depth of the crisis: “70% of Mexico’s

the Mexican water system simultaneously

territory is already in aquifer depletion, and

faces the consequences of a decade of

the country recycles only 6% of its water, and

underinvestment that reduced the operational

that comes almost entirely from companies.

capacity of the national infrastructure.

The way we are managing water in Mexico has always mattered, but today more than ever.”

A severe baseline contraction underscores this systemic underfunding: public spending

Facing these changes in rainfall patterns

through CONAGUA dropped from 0.26%

and extreme weather, implementing robust

of GDP in 2013 to just 0.12% by 2020,

sustainability strategies across agriculture,

stagnating at approximately 0.1% over

industry, and urban areas has become an

recent fiscal cycles, according to the Center

operational necessity to ensure long-term

for Research in Economics and Budgeting

resilience. Consequently, water availability has

(CIEP). The federal administration’s current

evolved from a basic utility consideration into a

six-year capital injection of US$186.6 billion

primary macroeconomic variable for nearshoring

(US$10.7 billion) scales to an average annual

manufacturing, corporate risk management, and

public investment of only 0.08% of GDP.

long-term business continuity.

This is markedly below the 1.3% of GDP recommended by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)

Technological Paths to Industrial, Agricultural Efficiency

to ensure systemic water security.

Addressing these hydrologic imbalances This environmental shift directly impacts

requires a comprehensive upgrade in water

capital allocation, supply chain resilience,

efficiency across the primary consumption

and facility location strategy across major

sectors, led by agriculture, public supply, and

11

self-supplied industry. In the agricultural sector, which accounts for over 70% of concessioned

Is Mexico Prepared for the Upcoming Water Challenges?

volumes, significant quantities are lost due to obsolete distribution infrastructure and lacking

Evaluating Mexico’s readiness for its

technification in surface irrigation. Data from

escalating hydrological constraints reveals a

the International Fresh Produce Association

sharp divide between strategic policy design

(IFPA) indicates that only 30% of agricultural

and physical, financial execution. On paper,

operations use technified irrigation systems.

the structural shift under the 2024–2030

To safeguard supply chains and commodity

National Water Plan establishes a clear

output, operators must shift toward precision

framework by treating water access as a

irrigation systems, such as automated drip and

matter of national security and prioritizing

micro-sprinkler frameworks, alongside data-

the restoration of overexploited basins.

driven satellite imagery to monitor precise soil moisture levels.

A n d ré D r i e ss e n , A m b a ss a d o r o f t h e Embassy of the Netherlands, pointed to an internationally tested model worth

“Mexico is registered as the country

adopting: “Our new philosophy over the

with the highest temperature increase

last 10 to 15 years has been to create space

over the last three decades. In some zones,

inside the country to retain water within

we are going to experience 3-4°C more

our territory rather than letting it drain to

within the next 20 years. The urgency

the sea. Mexico could replicate this system,

could not be greater.”

storing water during rains to have it available

Enrique Lendo Coordinator of Mexico’s Projects Portfolio | UN Environment Programme

during drought.”

However, translating intent into operational resilience faces severe bottlenecks due to constant investment deficits. Denis Reboul, CEO, Veolia México, put the infrastructure gap

Francisco Núñez Escudero, Responsible Official

in stark terms: “60% of water is lost to leaks, it

for the Water Sector, Ministry of Economy,

is a serious problem. The effort has to cover

challenged a common misconception about

every step of the chain: recycle, reuse, but

who drives this progress: “We always say that

also charge appropriately and fix the leaks.

industry and the private sector are the bad

A city needs good networks for drinking

guys stealing water, but when you look at the

water, wastewater, reuse, and stormwater,

data, the sectors doing the most for water are

and all of that requires investment.” The

precisely the industries, because they operate

ongoing capital shortfall leaves municipal

under circular economy principles.”

water boards structurally unequipped to repair rapidly deteriorating distribution grids,

For the industrial sector, particularly water-

which currently lose a critical share of their

intensive manufacturing like automotive parts,

volume to leakages before reaching domestic

electronics, and heavy industry, efficiency is

or industrial end-users.

moving toward zero-liquid discharge (ZLD) architectures. Companies are increasingly

The country’s immediate preparedness relies

integrating high-recovery reverse osmosis

heavily on decentralized, private-sector

systems, advanced evaporators, and

initiatives and targeted public-private co-

crystallizers within their facilities to eliminate

investments rather than centralized public

effluent discharge. Industrial operations

works alone. As Núñez concluded: “The key

decouple their production volumes from

is continuous action, that is what is missing.

municipal grid dependence and stabilize

We want to take steps, but doing something

operational costs when they implement

once is not enough. And we need to start

these closed-loop treatment frameworks and

by speaking the truth about where we

process water reuse architectures.

really stand.”

12

REDEFINING WATER GOVERNANCE: A COLLECTIVE PATH TO RESILIENCE When it comes to managing critical resources

multi-faceted. “Mexico does not only face a

like water, the lack of information, low

water crisis, but many simultaneous crises.

participation, scarcity of financing, and legal

They are not just problems of availability and

uncertainty turn collaborative governance

quality, but of governance,” Arriaga stated.

processes into a titanic, if not impossible, task. However, universal access to water as

To address these overlaps, the National Water

a human right compels, or seeks to compel,

Plan is built upon five strategic points:

all stakeholders—from the private sector and government to academia and civil society—to stop viewing the resource as an asset directly

+ Strengthening of governance and transparency. + Guaranteeing the human right to water

related to productivity.

and sanitation.

“We cannot leave the work only to the law; we must work with the government and companies to achieve access for communities. It is not just having access; it is considering maintenance and continuity. The Water Law contains very good intentions, but it lacks greater regulation.”

+ Efficient and sustainable use of water. + Integral management of basins and protection of rivers. + Resilience in the face of climate change.

Arriaga emphasized that the complexity of these points necessitates a collaborative approach. “The challenges are very significant; the government cannot do it alone. When we

Valeria Bustamante

talk about water, we are not just talking about

Partner | Pontones & Ledesma

potable water, but also sanitation and other issues,” he explained. While he acknowledges the plan’s utility, he highlighted a gap in current legislation: “The water plan does

The operationalization of the 2024–2030

define a course, but the regulation of how we

National Water Plan marks a fundamental

will follow that path is missing.”

shift in Mexico’s regulatory environment.

This framework moves away from fragmented concession management toward a centralized

Legal Certainty and the Regulatory Shift

model that treats water access as a matter of state sovereignty and national security.

A major regulatory hurdle under

This evolving structure places public

t h i s f ra m ewo r k i nvo l ve s t h e fe d e ra l

interest, ecological remediation, and strict

administration’s systematic review of existing

state oversight at the center of resource

concession titles to identify unutilized

management. For industrial, agricultural, and

volumes and return them to the national

municipal sectors, navigating this transition

availability pool. While designed to correct

requires understanding that the state is

historical overexploitation, this policy

actively reclaiming the direct administration

introduces a new layer of asset vulnerability

of hydrological resources through the newly

for self-supplied industries.

established National Water Register for WellBeing (RENAB).

“Water should never have been a commodity nor treated as an asset of the industry or

Five Pillars of Water Security

agents that carry out its use. Establishing access to water as a constitutional right

Jorge Arriaga, Executive Coordinator, Water

will allow for the generation of awareness

Security Center under the auspices of

regarding the prioritization of the

UNESCO, notes that the current situation is

resource,” said Valeria Bustamante, Partner,

13

Pontones & Ledesma. She argues that the

infrastructure repairs or constructing

philosophical approach to water must

tertiary treatment plants in exchange for

change fundamentally.

legally guaranteed volumes of treated municipal effluent.

Bustamante noted that the objective of recent regulatory movements is to avoid the

“What we want is to invert the logic,

“hoarding of what is not being used,” but

starting from prevention so that results

cautioned that legislation alone is insufficient.

can be seen in the basin,” said Irvin de la

“We cannot leave the work only to the law;

Cruz, Sustainability Manager, Philip Morris

we must work with the government and

Mexico. He explained that the current logic

companies to achieve access for communities.

is often reactive and focused on merely

It is not just having access; it is considering

complying with concessions.

maintenance and continuity. The Water Law contains very good intentions, but it lacks

Philip Morris Mexico’s Guadalajara plant, for

greater regulation.”

example, reduced its water consumption by 32.5% between 2019 and 2024, achieving

From a private sector perspective, Arriaga

certification under the Alliance for Water

pointed out that investment depends

Stewardship (AWS). “We are certified

on stability. “We need legal certainty in

through AWS to open the panorama to

concessions; no company can invest in the

corporate management in water resources.

long term if there is no legal certainty,” he

AWS establishes something very simple:

said. He further noted that the financial burden

water is a shared resource and users belong

of this transition is significant: “Generating

to an interdependent system,” de la Cruz

cultural change costs money; it costs to install

said. He added that the National Water

systems and also to maintain them. None of

Plan “seeks the incentive for companies to

this will become a reality if the money is not

become innovation laboratories because we

adequate and sustainable.”

have the capital, the intention, and the need for continuity.”

Corporate Ecosystems as Innovation Laboratories

Transparency and Digitalization

To bridge the gap between public demand

The final pillar of the updated model focuses

and industrial stability, the solution is moving

on transparency and data centralization via

toward structured water exchange frameworks.

RENAB and a digitized management portal at

Because obtaining fresh groundwater

CONAGUA. This system is designed to allow

concessions in high-stress zones is restricted,

regulators real-time clarity regarding actual

companies are increasingly funding municipal

consumption versus authorized limits.

14

“We need updated information to be

understand it, and can participate in its

able to perform correct administration;

management, then it can be said that

without it, we cannot have adequate water

there is transparency,” he said. “If I have

management,” Bustamante stated. She

transparency, a legal framework, and I do

advocated for a functional migration to

not limit myself to complying for the sake of

digitalization that allows for traceability and

complying, then I can contribute differently

reduces paperwork. However, she noted a

to the system.”

persistent barrier: “Companies are afraid to share information for fear that the volume

Closing the gap in water management

of water they do not use will be taken away.”

ultimately requires a shift in perception.

As de la Cruz concluded, “Closing the gap

De la Cruz argued that this transparency

is to stop seeing water as an element of

is actually a “win-win” scenario. “When

productivity and begin perceiving it as an

the community has access to data, can

issue of universal access to it.”

WITHOUT WATER, THERE IS NO INDUSTRY: CIRCULARITY IS THE ONLY WAY The global industrial sector faces structural

energy. Therefore, the great challenge lies

growth limitations driven by a widening gap

in increasing electricity generation capacity

between freshwater supply and demand.

while simultaneously guaranteeing the supply

According to Ecolab Mexico, although

of the water resources necessary to sustain

implementing water-saving architectures

it,” Bernardo Villasuso, Director of the Water

demands upfront capital, the long-term cost

Treatment Division, Ecolab Mexico, said.

of doing nothing outweighs the necessary investment by a factor of five.

Villasuso noted that Google alone consumed 8.1 billion gallons of water in 2024 to cool

Data from the World Resources Institute

its data centers, almost double the amount

indicate that global demand for clean water

from three years prior. A single data center

will exceed available supply by 56% by 2030.

in Iowa consumed 1 billion gallons in a year.

The rapid expansion of emerging technologies

“This is not the future. It is happening now.

compounds this deficit. Projections show

And every new data center competes directly

that by 2030, AI infrastructure alone will

with industry and communities for the same

consume a volume of water equivalent to

resource,” he noted.

the total drinking water needs of the United States, alongside an energy demand equal

This scarcity carries substantial

to the annual consumption of India. “The

macroeconomic risks, given that water and

advanced development of Mexico will depend

freshwater ecosystems sustain approximately

directly on the availability of water and

60% of global gross domestic product, representing an annual economic value of

“Circularity is not an option. It is the only way.

Every circular system we implement is an operation that becomes more resilient, more profitable, and better prepared for what is ahead.

The cost of acting is a fraction of the cost of inaction. The technology exists. The success stories are proven.

The only thing missing is the decision”

US$58 trillion. According to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), the financial impact of failing to address these water risks is up to five times higher than the capital required to proactively manage them. “For Mexico to remain competitive in the global economy, it requires water and energy. The cost of inaction is five times greater than the cost of acting,” Villasuso said.

Bernardo Villasuso Director of the Water Treatment Division| Ecolab Mexico

While addressing water risks carries an estimated cost of US$55 billion, the potential

15

financial impact of inaction reaches US$301

To insulate operations from these compounding

billion. Consequently, water management

resource constraints, industrial frameworks are

has transitioned from an operational utility

shifting toward comprehensive circular water

consideration into a primary variable for

management. Transitioning to a closed-loop

business continuity and risk mitigation.

system allows industrial facilities to decrease their freshwater intake by up to 90%. This circular approach requires integrating digital monitoring technologies, specialized chemical treatments, and targeted process engineering across all stages of the industrial water cycle, including pre-treatment, cooling towers, boilers, primary production processing, and post-treatment wastewater reclamation.

The implementation of reduction strategies within individual applications, the reuse of water between different processes, and the recycling of treated effluent back into the facility allow operators to systematically decouple production volumes from municipal grid dependence.

Beyond stabilizing operational costs and safeguarding local watersheds, the

For Villasuso, the traditional linear industrial

economic transition toward water circularity

model, characterized by resource extraction,

represents a significant market in its own

single-use application, and disposal,

right, generating an estimated US$47 billion

introduces significant systemic vulnerabilities.

in annual economic value within the United

Currently, 80% of industrial wastewater

States alone.

worldwide is discharged into the environment without undergoing any form of treatment.

“Circularity is not an option. It is the only

Furthermore, industrial data reveals a

way. Every circular system we implement is

strong operational link between water use

an operation that becomes more resilient,

and energy consumption, with up to 75% of

more profitable, and better prepared for what

industrial energy use driven directly by water

is ahead. The cost of acting is a fraction of

processes. This interdependence means that

the cost of inaction. The technology exists.

inefficiencies in water management directly

The success stories are proven. The only thing

inflate energy costs and emissions profiles.

missing is the decision,” Villasuso concluded.

SOFT INFRASTRUCTURE:NEW LOGIC IN THE LAKE TEXCOCO ECOLOGICAL PARK The definition of public works is experiencing

As Iñaki Echeverría, Former Director and

a paradigm shift as climate volatility and

Chief Architect, Lake Texcoco Ecological

hyper-urbanization challenge traditional

Park, argued, “pseudo-realist discourse

grey engineering methods. Conventional

has reduced beauty to a luxury, a privilege

infrastructure, relying on rigid concrete,

reserved for the few, when in reality it is a

heavy piping, and defensive containment,

fundamental necessity. Beauty is not the

frequently faces capacity limitations when

decoration at the end of a project. It is the

managing volatile precipitation patterns

reason the project exists at all: the why

and urban runoff. Yet, beyond engineering

and the what for of everything we build.”

constraints, there is a deeper failure at play.

Confronted by these systemic constraints,

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modern urban planning is increasingly evaluating soft infrastructure, and redefining what infrastructure is allowed to mean.

Soft infrastructure is a nature-based model that utilizes natural biological and hydrological processes as mechanisms for environmental mitigation, shifting the focus from total containment to landscape-level adaptation. It is also, at its core, a shift in ambition, from infrastructure that merely functions to infrastructure that carries meaning. “Beauty is infrastructure that carries meaning; it holds the past and the future together, filled with longing and hope.

It is what allows us to imagine and construct worlds that are genuinely different and genuinely better,” said Echeverría.

The operational application of this concept is being executed at the Lake Texcoco Ecological Park (PELT) in Mexico. Spanning 14,030ha of a highly complex basin, this project repurposes a territory once slated for the New Mexico City

dynamic by constructing extensive drainage

International Airport (NAICM), establishing

and canal networks to rapidly pump storm

an environmental zone that covers 11% of the

runoff out of the valley, a practice that alters

Mexico City metropolitan area.

regional water tables and influences urban heat island effects. Soft infrastructure alters

It is also something far more charged than

this approach, utilizing the basin’s natural

a planning reallocation. “Lake Texcoco

capacity to retain water as a regional

Ecological Park is where all of these ideas

regulation mechanism.

converge. At its most intimate core, it is beauty and infrastructure as a single inseparable thing:

The physical execution of this restoration

not a park, but the restitution of a destroyed

relies on a technical process of division

ecological system,” added Echeverría.

and saturation rather than large-scale drainage. Because the historic lakebed

Managing a landscape of this scale requires a

features extreme Solonchak salinity, the

departure from traditional, static master plans.

ground is naturally dry and hot, causing

It demands the adoption of a gardener’s logic,

shallow surface water to evaporate almost

defined as a flexible, long-term stewardship

immediately. To counter this, the project

strategy designed to guide and cooperate

framework splits large, shallow bodies of

with natural environmental successions rather

water into smaller, deeper basins. Forcing

than trying to permanently restrict them.

deeper water levels saturates the soil and retains moisture, rebalancing the Valley of

Reconciling City and Basin

Mexico’s water system.

The core engineering challenge of the Lake

Over time, this continuous saturation alters

Texcoco basin centers on its structural

the immediate climate loop, as enhanced

co m p l ex i t y, c h a ra c te r i ze d by h i g h l y

surface humidity encourages the growth of

localized hyper-saline soils and extreme

native halophytic plants. These salt-tolerant

seasonal water fluctuations. Traditional

species stabilize the soil and gradually

civil engineering historically addressed this

alter the substrate’s chemical composition,

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“Lake Texcoco Ecological Park is where all of these ideas converge. At its most intimate core, it is beauty and infrastructure as a single inseparable thing: not a park, but the restitution of a destroyed ecological system”

misses its most radical dimension: beauty as an act of social justice.

The eastern periphery of the Valley of Mexico has historically experienced high economic vulnerability, environmental degradation, and a lower per capita distribution of quality public

Iñaki Echeverría

space compared to other areas of the city. For

Former Director & Chief Architect | Lake Texcoco Ecological Park

generations, beauty in public infrastructure, thoughtful design, ecological richness, spaces that inspire rather than merely function, has been concentrated in wealthier districts,

establishing an ecological foundation for

treating aesthetics as a reward for prosperity

biodiversity to return. Through this phased

rather than a right of citizenship. Declared

biological intervention, the park creates

an official PNA and recognized under the

an absorbent buffer zone where lagoons

international Ramsar Convention, the territory

naturally recharge aquifers and mitigate the

serves as a tool for environmental justice by

urban heat island effect.

providing high-quality infrastructure directly to marginalized municipal populations. It is,

Biocultural Infrastructure and Regional Integration

as Echeverría describes it, “a project of social justice for vulnerable communities, built on the very ground where Mexico was founded,

Physical landscape restoration represents

a place that has been stripped of everything

only one component of the soft infrastructure

for centuries.”

model, as large-scale environmental works are increasingly designed to serve as

This is what makes the project’s design

active platforms for social and recreational

philosophy so consequential: it refuses to

integration. But framing this solely as an

separate beauty from utility, or ecology

environmental or engineering achievement

from equity.

WATER CIRCULARITY IN MEXICO: THE REGULATORY TIPPING POINT Mexico has reached a regulatory tipping point in water management following two decades

Structural Constraints and Sectoral Usage

of legislative delays, enacting new laws and reforms aimed at transitioning the country

Current data highlights significant stress

toward a circular water economy. The new

on national resources, demanding a shift in

framework, anchored by the 2025 General

how concessions are managed. According to

Law on Circular Economy and sweeping

Rogel, more than 100 surface hydrological

reforms to the National Water Law, arrives as

basins and 40% of underground sources

40.3% of the national territory faces drought

currently have no water availability. The

conditions, a critical period following a year

agricultural sector remains the primary

where 88.2% of municipalities were impacted

consumer, accounting for 76% of total water

by water scarcity.

use and drawing 60% of its supply from surface sources. In contrast, the industrial

Brenda Rogel, Partner, Ritch Mueller, noted

sector accounts for 5% of usage, relying

that while the legislative foundation is now in

predominantly on groundwater.

place, the transition from intent to execution remains the primary challenge. “We had

The new regulatory environment introduces

waited for the water law for more than 20

a revised reassignment scheme for water

years,” Rogel said.

concessions that centralizes control. “If I

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acquire a property that has benefited from

5. Water Footprint Monitoring: Integrating

a concession, I have the right to a direct

impact metrics into the General Law on

concession with the same volume and

Circular Economy.

exploitation,” Rogel explained. However, the reform prohibits the direct transfer of

Industrial Adaptation and Circularity

titles between private parties. Furthermore, changes in water use, such as transitioning

Modernization of wastewater treatment

from agricultural to industrial, now require

is a central component of this strategy.

an ordinary reassignment process through

Rogel noted a significant delay in municipal

a n ew l y e s t a b l i s h e d n a t i o n a l wa te r

treatment rates and a lack of investment

conservation fund.

to help plants meet 2021 standards.

Consequently, the industrial sector is

The Five Pillars of Water Management

increasingly evaluating desalination and rainwater harvesting to secure supply without

To address the lack of availability, the

drawing from potable surface water.

government is prioritizing a five-pillar strategy: The General Law on Circular Economy will 1.

National Water Reserve Fund: A

specifically integrate water footprint metrics,

centralized system to manage rights

recognizing that “one cubic meter does not

and availability.

have the same impact in different regions

2. Supply Diversification: Promoting

and contexts.” This move signals a departure

alternative sources to reduce pressure

from traditional compliance toward a holistic

on aquifers.

management model.

3. Official Wastewater Standards: Implementing NOM-001-

“It is no longer measured only by compliance

SEMARNAT-2021 to regulate treated

with water extraction and discharge,”

and untreated reuse.

Rogel said. “We are migrating to a circular

4. Water Responsibility: Developing

model that demands greater efficiency,

frameworks for corporate

sustainability, and the involvement of

accountability.

all actors.”

BUSINESS FOR WATER: BALANCING OPPORTUNITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY The implementation of innovative financing

commitment to fostering public-private and

mechanisms represents a potential avenue

community collaboration.

for addressing Mexico’s water infrastructure deficit. Experts point out that securing

Water scarcity is not just an environmental

Mexico’s hydrological future requires a

concern but a macroeconomic variable; data

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indicates that environmental depletion and

Scaling these collaborative models across

degradation cost Mexico approximately 4.1%

highly stressed industrial basins requires

of its GDP, with 42.9% of national economic

moving beyond fragmented, short-term

activity currently generated in areas heavily

agreements toward standardized legal

impacted by severe drought. In this context,

frameworks that provide institutional

water scarcity acts as a negative supply

investors with clear regulatory certainty,

shock that directly threatens total factor

predictable long-term tariff structures, and

productivity and accelerates the depreciation

enforceable contract protections.

of physical capital.

For Luis Julian Hernández, Public Affairs, To insulate operations from these disruptions,

ESG, and Sustainability MX Senior Director,

structured Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs)

Niagara Bottling, many companies already

offer a scalable pathway to channel private

implement initiatives to create a positive

investment into municipal and regional water

impact within their basins, but the key is

systems. An example of this model’s industrial

ensuring that corporate metrics evolve

scalability is Heineken México’s strategic

beyond simple operational continuity. “If we

framework in highly stressed northern and

focus deeply on the health and resilience of

central basins. Rather than limiting mitigation

the watersheds, we create a virtuous circle.

to internal facility walls, the firm allocates

The question for modern industry should no

capital directly to upper-watershed ecological

longer be ‘how much water do we use?’ but

restoration and regional soil conservation,

rather, ‘does the presence of our company

restoring the natural recharge capacity of

improve the overall health of the basin?’ That

aquifers that supply both municipal populations

must be our new paradigm,” he stressed.

and commercial operations.

“Ac h i ev i n g a b a l a n ce d wate r s h e d i n

Aligning Corporate Capital With National Water Policies

Tecate, Baja California, was made possible through a strategic partnership with the

A s t h e fe d e ra l g ove r n m e n t t i g h te n s

NGO Restauremos el Río Colorado. Moving

centralized control under the National

forward, public sector involvement remains

Water Plan, the state’s role is evolving from

critical. Government collaboration allows us

a passive regulator into an active coordinator

to align with state and municipal agendas,

of private sector investment. This alignment

foster community participation, and maintain

is critical because global market access

vital connectivity with the Baja California

and incoming nearshoring investments are

administration,” exemplified Inti Pérez,

increasingly conditional on hydrological

Sustainability and Responsibility Director,

security. Major multinational buyers now

HEINEKEN Mexico.

require verifiable water-stewardship metrics

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from local suppliers before integrating them

multi-jurisdictional water assets. The

into global supply chains.

structural development of over US$9 billion in environmental and sanitation infrastructure,

To prevent capital misallocation, public

coordinated through binational institutions

policies must provide explicit guidelines that

like the Border Environment Cooperation

channel ESG expenditure toward high-priority

C o m m i s s i o n ( B E CC ) a n d t h e N o r t h

regional targets. Juan Pablo Rodríguez,

American Development Bank (NADBank),

Business Director of Rotoplas Servicios de

demonstrates that private and public capital

Agua, emphasized that successful water

can be successfully blended when aligned

infrastructure cannot be driven by a single

with macro-level asset management plans.

sector; instead, it requires the synchronized efforts of government, private enterprise,

According to María Elena Giner, Director of

and civil society. He considers that when the

Water Resources and Community Planning,

state establishes a well-defined regulatory

Black & Veatch, while major water projects

framework backed by a long-term vision,

inherently require a minimum 10-year

and the private sector deploys the necessary

development horizon, long-term operational

technical capabilities to meet those standards,

continuity can be structurally insulated from

it creates a repeatable model for large-scale

changing political administrations. She

environmental remediation.

highlights CONAGUA’s FONADIN program as a prime example, which successfully unlocked wastewater treatment plant

“If we focus deeply on the health

development by pairing a maximum 50%

and resilience of the watersheds, we create

public funding cap with mandatory 20-year

a virtuous circle. The question for modern

third-party private operations contracts.

industry should no longer be ‘how much

“We cannot continue relying on subsidies

water do we use?’ but rather, ‘does the

designed solely to build infrastructure;

presence of our company improve

instead, we must establish public-private

the overall health of the basin?’

funds that provide direct financial incentives

That must be our new paradigm”

for long-term operational efficiency and

Luis Hernández Public Affairs, ESG, and Sustainability MX Senior Director | Niagara Bottling

ongoing asset maintenance,” she added.

To scale this institutional stability across the rest of Mexico, Giner notes that the country must prioritize water portfolio diversification, mirroring frameworks like El Paso, Texas, which

“Long-term projects demand high technical

utilizes eight distinct water sources, while

capacity. A prime example of this is in Puebla,

rethinking how public capital is deployed.

where the government provided the initial vision to clean the Atoyac River, and Rotoplas

Some experts have proposed the

acted as the technology partner, deploying

establishment of specialized Water Positive

advanced solutions to strictly comply with

Industrial Parks, which allow the public

the updated NOM-001-SEMARNAT-2021

and private sectors to co-manage shared

standard,” Rodríguez exemplified.

sustainability standards, ensuring that corporate capital directly supports national

Government entities can accelerate this

aquifer recovery goals while safeguarding

co-investment by creating streamlined

manufacturing continuity. To make these hubs

administrative pathways and preferential

viable, operators must design them around

permitting for firms that substitute first-

a strict triad of technical feasibility, financial

use groundwater extraction with treated

sustainability, and political alignment.

municipal effluent. Furthermore, international precedents offer clear operational roadmaps

This structure is essential for fostering

for handling complex transboundary and

a reliable investment environment and,

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crucially, for overcoming public skepticism

This mechanism transforms water from a

surrounding private sector participation in

passive operational risk into a strategic,

water management. “We must be capable

bankable asset. However, to guarantee

of managing ourselves with hard data and

long-term environmental sustainability, the

verifiable information to mitigate risks like

financial architecture must reward ongoing

negative social perception, where public-

operational metrics over simple physical

private initiatives are frequently misinterpreted

installation. “To guarantee long-term

as water privatization. If each sector plays its

environmental sustainability, it is not enough

role rigorously and consciously, we create the

to simply lay down a pipeline. Public-private

technical, financial, and political triad necessary

financing and subsidies cannot act as a mere

to generate a healthy investment environment,”

prize for construction; they must be explicitly

Hernández, noted.

tied to long-term operational efficiency, ongoing asset maintenance, and volumetric

Incentivizing Infrastructure via Market-Based Solutions

recovery metrics,” Rodríguez said.

Through this strict focus on decentralized

Securing long-term capital for Mexico’s water

treatment, rainwater harvesting, and real-

network requires an investment architecture

time digital management, these corporate

that prioritizes environmental and social

capital allocations simultaneously eliminate

equity through clear financial incentives.

regional usage conflicts, deliver tangible

According to Giner, successfully scaling these

benefits to rural communities, and stabilize

capital programs depends on executing highly

the long-term social license to operate.

structured asset management frameworks derived from extensive transboundary governance experience. This operational approach requires operators to systematically evaluate infrastructure age, condition, and community impact before deploying capital.

Within this structured approach, private investments can be effectively mobilized through localized water credit markets, mirroring the functional logic of global carbon offsets. Under this framework, industrial corporations can directly finance the modernization of nearby agricultural irrigation grids, which currently lose up to 40% of their volume to structural leaks, in exchange for certified volumes of saved water.

Reflecting on the shared challenges and solutions discussed throughout the panel,

According to Miguel Medina, Corporate Affairs

industry leaders concluded that addressing

& Creating Shared Value Manager, Nestlé

the water crisis requires moving beyond

Mexico, implementing this type of water

isolated corporate initiatives toward a

management requires taking the agricultural

deeply integrated, long-term national model.

sector into account and shifting mindsets

“Basically, what is required is a combination of

through technical training. Medina highlights

robust investment and a long-term vision. We

that it is vital to teach farmers how to measure

need legal certainty, a supportive regulatory

the amount of water they use, creating a

framework, and direct incentives for

quantified baseline that allows them to migrate

efficiency to continue expanding corporate

from traditional irrigation to technified systems,

water responsibility across the country,”

thereby directly impacting the volume of water

Vicente Rodríguez Woog, Communications

within the supply chain.

Director, MexBeb, concluded.

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SHAPING AGRICULTURE’S FUTURE ONE DROP AT A TIME

Optimization in agriculture represents

modernize infrastructure across vulnerable

t h e p r i m a r y b a s e l i n e f o r a c h i ev i n g

regions, turning operational resource

macroeconomic water stability in Mexico. To

efficiency into a standardized compliance

achieve this, companies and farmers must

baseline. Widespread tech adoption remains

think outside the box to implement solutions

a critical priority because climate-driven

that are suitable for big players, as well as for

water scarcity has already forced up to a 30%

small-to-middle scale producers.

reduction in cultivated areas across northern Mexico, presenting an immediate challenge

“Agriculture accounts for 76% of the

to regional food security.

country’s water use, and we project a 2.4% growth in agricultural tonnage,” said Carmen

“We have reached a point of no return. The

Guerrero, Sr. Consultant in Water and Land

challenge is not just migrating to technology,

Stewardship. Yet, Mexico is a country prone

but developing the capacities to use it,”

to recurrent droughts.

Waldo Ojeda, President, COMEII.

To align with the goals of the National

Scaling Global Innovations Through Public-Private Alignment

Water Plan 2024–2030, which prioritizes the structural modernization of over 200,000ha across 18 high-stress irrigation districts,

Evaluating Mexico’s agricultural readiness

producers must accelerate the transition

for advanced water technologies highlights

toward data-driven, localized irrigation

a structural gap between major agro-export

management. Moving past basic gravity-

operations and smallholder cultivation units.

fed canals requires adopting precision

While corporate agri-businesses possess

technologies, such as subsurface drip

the capital to integrate sophisticated data

irrigation systems, automated soil-moisture

tools, widespread national readiness requires

telemetry, and micro-sprinkler networks.

structured public-private strategies to internalize the production and deployment

These field-level upgrades are designed

of these innovations.

to eliminate the heavy losses caused by traditional flood irrigation, which currently

Companies like Bayer Crop Science and

wastes up to 80% of volume allocations due

Kilimo demonstrate that the path forward

to soil infiltration and surface evaporation.

relies on combining Big Data with field-level

Integrating these advanced delivery systems

implementation, using satellite-derived crop

directly addresses the federal mandate to

coefficients, AI, and cloud-based climate

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modeling to calculate precise daily crop water requirements without requiring expensive onsite physical sensors.

Isabel Taylor, Head of Water & Climate Delivery, Kilimo Mexico, emphasized that scale must not come at the cost of autonomy, however.

“Technology is an opportunity to protect watersheds, but always keeping in mind that the decision-making and agency rests in the hands of those who are producing.”

To turn these international technologies into a domestic industrial engine, the government and private enterprises must co-develop specialized technification frameworks.

This strategy is highlighted by Bayer’s establishment of Mexico’s first Forward

the rigorous data standards needed to

Farm in Queretaro, a 600ha regenerative

back large-scale infrastructure upgrades.

agriculture model that serves as a living

Ojeda reinforced this point: “Farmers need

laboratory for tech localized within the

full visibility into how much water is being

Mexican context. Through the implementation

drawn from the reservoir, technology must

of digital solutions like the Carlota monitoring

be embedded at every stage of the process.”

system, which delivers real-time irrigation analytics directly to farmers via WhatsApp across 15 states, private sector innovation is

Overcoming Structural Barriers to Wide-Scale Adoption

successfully bridging the rural digital divide.

The widespread deployment of irrigation Julio López, Digital Farming Solutions

innovations across Mexico’s rural landscapes

Manager, Bayer Crop Science, underscored

faces complex financial and educational

the pace of this shift: “Technology changes

bottlenecks. High upfront capital costs for

every six months, it allows you to do more

hardware installation represent a major

in less time and at a lower cost, but farmers

barrier for small-to-medium producers, a

are very resistant to change. We need to

challenge that is frequently compounded

create a learning process so that technology

by a lack of localized technical training

is understood and embraced as a solution.”

and limited cellular connectivity in remote agricultural zones.

Technical training and engineering validation from organizations like the Mexican College

Esteban Macías, Director of Crop Protection

of Irrigation Engineers (COMEII) ensure

,Grupo U, offered a grounded perspective on

these systems are correctly calibrated to

bridging this gap: “I define technology as a

regional soil and crop realities, establishing

ladder , we do not all need AI or satellites if we have not yet passed the first step, which

“Technology is an opportunity to protect watersheds, but always keeping in mind that the decision-making and agency rests in the hands of those who are producing.”

is ensuring our farmers understand the tools they already have.” He added: “The problem is not technology itself, it is resistance to change. Every time we have migrated to something new, there have been benefits.”

Isabel Taylor

To overcome these economic constraints,

Head of Water and Climate Delivery | Kilimo Mexico

stakeholders are introducing market-based incentives and shared-cost financing models

24

that reward measurable water savings.

Transitioning to user-friendly mobile solutions

Under collective action initiatives like

allows producers to receive automated, real-

Kilimo’s Latidos del Agua program, industrial

time irrigation recommendations via basic

corporations fund agricultural modernization

cellular networks, removing the requirement

across priority watersheds to generate

for advanced corporate IT infrastructure at

certified volumetric offsets.

the farm level. López captured the operational imperative simply: “Farmers already have too

Taylor pointed to the financing gap as a key

many problems on their minds. The key is not

obstacle: “Technology can cost between

to add more, it is to take things off their plate

MX$10,000/ha and MX$50,000/ha, we need

and offer solutions only we can provide.”

to organize as agents of agriculture, water, and technology to channel investment and

The combination of scalable digital tools and

make it accessible.”

structured co-investment models allows the agricultural sector to successfully bridge the

Under this co-investment architecture,

resource gap, driving widespread technology

farmers can gradually reimburse the initial

adoption that simultaneously protects shared

tech layout by adhering to recommended

aquifers, elevates crop productivity, and

water conservation practices, aligning

secures the long-term social license to operate.

private investments directly with national environmental goals. Over the past three years alone, these combined digital and agronomic advancements have successfully reclaimed over 205 million m3 of water.

“Technology changes every six months, it allows you to do more in less time and at a lower cost, but farmers are very resistant to change. We need to create a learning process so that technology is understood and embraced as a solution.”

Julio López Digital Farming Solutions Manager | Bayer Crop Science

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