ABSTRACT
River basins around the world are experiencing high levels of water stress, with water withdrawals greatly exceeding utilizable levels. The Lerma–Chapala in Mexico is an extreme example. In this, one of the world's most over-committed basins, demographic growth, coupled with industrial and agricultural development, led to a serious imbalance between water withdrawals and availability. Upstream agricultural drain of the Lerma River contributed to continual declines in water levels and the shrinking surface area of Lake Chapala, while water quality decreased steadily as the demands from human settlements, farmers and industry continued to grow.
