An overview of modeling efforts of water resources in Mexico: Challenges and opportunities

As water management challenges grow, the use of water planning models become an essential part of water resources management. The overall goal of this research study was to assess the use of water planning models for evaluating water management strategies in Mexico. A total of 36 peer-reviewed modeling efforts were identified in Mexico until July 2021 that aimed to support decision-making processes. Primarily, three processes were supported: water resources planning (53 %), water availability and demand diagnosis (36 %), and conflict resolution (11 %). Most of the case studies addressed are within arid regions facing the most significant water management challenges in the country. Successful modeling practices included stakeholder outreach, collaborative modeling, and reliable, timely and available information. However, the lack of stakeholders involvement, limited knowledge-sharing, data limitations and established stakeholders misconceptions are areas that hinder the usefulness of models. As Mexico is gradually developing, using, and accepting water resources models, it is essential to collaborate within the end-users, stakeholders, and decision-makers in the co-production of models.