Extractive mining and socio-environmental conflicts over water in arid northwest of Mexico: a political ecology analysis

Mega mining activities have expanded throughout Mexico since the end of the 20th century. This is also true for the state of Sonora, which is characterized by the predominance of arid ecosystems in its territory. Since then, the extraction of precious metals such as gold through open mining has also increased. This paper uses a political ecology perspective in order to analyze socio-environmental conflicts over water caused by mega mining activities in Sonora, in particular loss of water quality due to toxic spills and water scarcity. Data were systematized and analyzed using various journalistic and academic sources. Eleven water-related conflicts were identified. Eight are related to a decrease in water quality due to toxic spills while three are related to water access decrease due to water hoarding by mining enterprises. The analysis underlines the weaknesses of the environmental governance model prevailing in Mexico which places private interests before public ones. It is argued that the State needs to recover its power to protect human rights, including the human right to water.