Institutional Capacity of Basin Councils in Mexico. The Case of the High Northwest Basin Council, 1999-2017

Abstract

This article examines the capacity of Mexico’s basin councils to manage water issues in its territory, particularly the case of the High Northwest Basin Council. For this purpose, the academic literature on the components of institutional capacity is revised, and variables for evaluating effectiveness at the local level are proposed; the content of councils’ legal framework is analyzed, and its scope and limitations are assessed. Although this framework is valid for evaluating public policy on this matter in Mexico, as well as the variables of the council studied, it is necessary to verify its generalization, corroborating it with other cases. It was found that the National Water Commission controls all matters relating to the High Northwest Basin Council, and that the scant social participation achieved is induced and promoted from above. It follows that Mexico’s basin councils lack authority to carry out water management.