As part of her first year in office, President of Mexico Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo announced the submission to the Chamber of Deputies of a bill to enact the General Water Law and reform the National Water Law, with the aim of returning water as a national resource and guaranteeing its access as a human right. The president emphasized that this change represents a historic step toward the regulation and responsible use of water throughout the country.
Sheinbaum explained that this reform ends the practice of turning concessions into tradable commodities among private entities, a system established in 1992. She stressed that water is a strategic and scarce resource, particularly in central and northern regions of the country, and therefore its use must be regulated and supervised by the National Water Commission (Conagua). “This change to the National Water Law is a good way to celebrate the first year of government,” she stated.
The Legal Counsel of the Executive, Ernestina Godoy Ramos, emphasized that this initiative is based on a humanist vision that recognizes water as a right, not a privilege. Meanwhile, Conagua’s General Director, Efraín Morales López, detailed that the new law establishes clear responsibilities among the three levels of government, recognizes community water systems, and includes measures against misuse, theft, and the black market of the resource, even creating a chapter on water-related crimes with penalties ranging from 1 to 10 years in prison.
Among the most relevant provisions are the creation of a National Water Registry, a National Water Reserve Fund, limits on guarantee payments to prevent hoarding, as well as the promotion of rainwater harvesting and short-, medium-, and long-term water planning. With these measures, the Mexican State will assume full control over concessions and their extensions, ensuring efficiency and fairness in access to the resource.
In parallel, the president reported that the Ministry of Welfare began delivering financial support of 8,000 pesos to families affected by atypical rainfall in Nezahualcóyotl and Los Reyes La Paz, State of Mexico. She explained that this emergency, one of the strongest recorded in decades with rainfall of up to 91 millimeters, is being addressed by CNPC, Conagua, the DN-III Plan, and the Navy Plan, in coordination with state and municipal governments.
