With perhaps undue haste, a new “General Water Law” has been pushed through ahead of the change of Government which, according to critics, opens the floodgates to privatization and locks in water rights for fracking and mining, at the expense of agriculture.
Restrictions on the delivery from 300 water reserves was lifted by the new law (published on 5 June) which represents 40% of all open water resources in the country. As noted by the World Wildlife Federation, and others, this will also permit mining and fracking industries to obtain “concessions” and turn control of the Resource over to local water companies, many of which have been, or are expected to be, privatized. No mention is made in the new bill of indigenous water rights, although most of the affected sources are the main source for water on indigenous lands.
Water in Mexico, like oil and minerals, was considered a national resource, to be managed by the Federal Government for the benefit of the people.
Sources: Jornada, mientrastantoenmexico.mx, Gaceta Diario.
This post first appeared on The Mex Files | ¡COMO MEXICO NO HAY DOS! The "Real Mexico" From Transvestite Wrestlers To Machete-wielding Naked Farmers. History, Culture, Politics, Economics, News And The General Weirdness That Usually Floats Down From The North., please read the originial post: here
