ABSTRACT
In Mexico, there is a definitive water authority known as National Water Commission (CONAGUA) 1 who is in charge of the national water management, implying overall responsibility for all aspects of the water sector, including policy and water quality. The CONAGUA was established on 16 January 1989 as an administrative decentralized agency which aimed to induce changes in water resources utilization and management in terms of government intervention. Originally it was part of the Agriculture and Hydraulic Resources Ministry, but since 1994 it has been part of the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Fisheries (in Spanish: Secretaría de Medio Ambiente, Recursos Naturales y Pesca, SEMARNAP).
