Mexico Awards 43 Agricultural Water Concessions in Zacatecas

The Mexican government has granted 43 agricultural water concession titles to producers in the state of Zacatecas, in a move aimed at providing legal certainty for water use, improving regulation of national water resources and supporting food sovereignty, according to a government statement issued on Dec. 18.

The action was carried out through the National Water Commission (Conagua) and aligns with President Claudia Sheinbaum’s commitment to guarantee the human right to water, bring order to the use of national waters, and address the historical overexploitation and concentration of water resources. The concessions were delivered during a meeting in Guadalupe, Zacatecas, where federal officials also provided technical guidance to local producers.

Conagua said the initiative seeks to regularize agricultural water use, granting farmers legal certainty over their water rights and strengthening nationwide oversight of water concessions. Authorities stressed that the process is also intended to eliminate privileges that have allowed certain users to overextract, hoard or profit disproportionately from water resources.

Among the officials present were Mauricio Rodríguez Alonso, Conagua’s deputy director general for water administration; Óscar Jovanny Zavala Gamboa, deputy director general for legal affairs; and Víctor Manuel Reyes Rodríguez, Conagua’s local director in Zacatecas. During the event, Rodríguez outlined the benefits of regularizing water concessions, including improved access to federal support programs.

One of the programs highlighted was the Special Energy Program for the Countryside for Agricultural Electricity Use (PEUA), which provides subsidies covering more than 90% of electricity costs for eligible agricultural users. Rodríguez said legal certainty over water concessions is a key requirement for farmers seeking to participate in such initiatives. “This is just the first of many events that will be held to deliver water concession titles,” Rodríguez said. “The mission is very clear: to establish comprehensive, transparent and public order in the use of national waters.”

Reyes added that Conagua is encouraging small and medium-sized producers to approach the agency to regularize their water concessions, noting that doing so would allow them to qualify for federally funded programs, improve water-use efficiency and contribute to broader national objectives.

The government described the initiative as part of a broader national effort to provide accurate information, strengthen dialogue with producers and ensure water policy is implemented in coordination with local communities. Referencing the recent granting of concessions to farmers in Sonora, officials said similar actions are expected in other states as part of an ongoing strategy to reinforce water governance and agricultural sustainability across Mexico.

The moves come as Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies has passed a new General Water Law requiring unused water concessions to be returned to Conagua for reassignment. Ahead of the vote, Conagua Director General Efraín Morales López described the reform as “an act of justice for the people of Mexico,” saying it would help regulate concessions and curb water overexploitation.