Mexico | The New Course of Water in Mexico: an Analysis of Water-Related Reforms

Summary

At the end of 2025, the decree enacting the new General Water Law and amending the 1992 National Waters Law was published. These changes stem from campaign commitments made by President Claudia Sheinbaum and from the National Water Plan presented in November 2024. The key points are analyzed below.

Key points

• Key points:
• In follow-up to the commitments made by Claudia Sheinbaum, first as a candidate and later as president, a series of amendments to the 1992 National Waters Law were published on December 11, aimed at regulating water concessions and strengthening the human right to water under the new General Water Law.
• Under the new legal framework, the complete suspension of domestic water supply for nonpayment is prohibited. While this measure recognizes social rights, it may also create unintended incentives and financial risks for local governments due to reduced revenue from water fees, which account on average for 23.0% of their income. From a public policy perspective, it is important to consider that proper water fee collection could help extend access to more people.
• The amendments to the National Waters Law also restrict the direct transfer of concession titles between private parties, centralizing their management under CONAGUA. The aim is to restore the State’s authority over their allocation and prioritize domestic consumption.
• In response to pressure from various social and productive sectors, who argued that the reforms would reduce legal certainty and diminish the value of land with water concessions, the published amendments establish a centralized control that is less stringent than originally proposed in the draft bill, though at the cost of limiting the State’s capacity to address contingencies such as droughts.

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