The national drought policy in Mexico

Abstract

Traditionally, drought effects in Mexico have been attended through governmental reactive efforts directed to provide water and food, to assure health protection, and to restore economic impact once the phenomena occurred. The Mexican Government through National Water Commission (CONAGUA, for its acronym in Spanish), interested in changing the paradigm for preventive actions to cope with droughts in Mexico in the past, decided to launch in 2013 the National Program Against Drought (PRONACOSE, for its acronym in Spanish) and created the Intersecretarial Commission on Droughts and Floods (CIASI, for its acronym in Spanish) to take charge of coordinating, implementing and following-up of the PRONACOSE. This program has its main focus on reducing vulnerability through the implementation of planned preventive actions under a comprehensive and participative approach. As key part of the program, Programmes of Preventive and Mitigation Drought Measures (PMPMS, for its acronym in Spanish) for each one of the 26 river basin councils established in the country and for the principal cities of Mexico were developed. These programmes include the measures that can be implemented within the river basin councils and the cities to cope with drought in three ways: before the phenomenon occurs (strategic measures), when it is starting (tactical measures) or when it is already happening (emergency measures). Also, since 2014, the National Meteorological Service (SMN, for its acronym in Spanish) releases timely alerts and monitors the evolution of the drought including affected areas and level of severity of the phenomenon at a basin, state and municipality level. It is noteworthy that in all these activities the Mexican Institute of Water Technology (IMTA, for its acronym in Spanish) has played an important role, as this institute has provided the necessary technical support for the designing and implementation of the PRONACOSE. It is concluded that drought risk cannot be fully eliminated, nevertheless the actions that are implemented as part of this program are useful to mitigate its effects.