caa a22 4500 445815183 CHVBK 20180317145225.0 cr unu---uuuuu 170323e20110601xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/s10040-011-0733-2 doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s10040-011-0733-2 Assessment of the development of aquifer management councils (COTAS) for sustainable groundwater management in Guanajuato, Mexico [Elektronische Daten] [Philippus Wester, Ricardo Sandoval Minero, Jaime Hoogesteger] Evaluation du développement des conseils de gestion des aquifères (COTAS) pour une gestion durable des eaux souterraines au Guanajuato, Mexique Collective groundwater management by water users—self-regulation—is increasingly advocated as a complement to state regulation. This article analyzes the attempts by the Guanajuato State Water Commission (CEAG) in central Mexico to promote user self-regulation through the establishment and development of 14 Consejos Técnicos de Aguas (COTAS; Technical Water Councils). Based on a joint assessment by a former senior CEAG policy-maker and two researchers, Guanajuato's groundwater-management policy is reviewed to understand why user self-regulation was less successful than expected. It concludes that increasing awareness and improving the knowledge base on groundwater is not enough to trigger self-regulation by groundwater users. A wider delegation of responsibilities to the COTAS is necessary, combined with: (1) functioning mechanisms for enforcing groundwater legislation, especially concerning well permits and pumped volumes, and (2) mechanisms that ensure the legitimacy and accountability of users' representatives to both users and state agencies. Springer-Verlag, 2011 Groundwater management nationallicence User self-regulation nationallicence Aquifer management councils nationallicence Guanajuato nationallicence Mexico nationallicence Wester Philippus Irrigation and Water Engineering Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands aut Sandoval Minero Ricardo Independent consultant—water resources management, Pirita 8, Valenciana, 36240, Guanajuato City, Guanajuato, Mexico aut Hoogesteger Jaime Irrigation and Water Engineering Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands aut Hydrogeology Journal Springer-Verlag 19/4(2011-06-01), 889-899 1431-2174 19:4<889 2011 19 10040 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-011-0733-2 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-011-0733-2 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Wester Philippus Irrigation and Water Engineering Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Sandoval Minero Ricardo Independent consultant—water resources management, Pirita 8, Valenciana, 36240, Guanajuato City, Guanajuato, Mexico aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Hoogesteger Jaime Irrigation and Water Engineering Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Hydrogeology Journal Springer-Verlag 19/4(2011-06-01), 889-899 1431-2174 19:4<889 2011 19 10040 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer