Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy @ The University of Arizona

US_MEX

The Udall Center's program in this area involves research and outreach on policy related to transboundary water management (particularly in the San Pedro and Sanata Cruz River Basins of Arizona and Sonora and the Lower Colorado River Basin and Delta), the role of public participation related to post-NAFTA environmental institutions (BECC, NADB, and CEC), and issues of borderwide significance. The Center promotes democratization of decisionmaking in the region through the pioneering use of electronic discussion groups (BECCnet and CECnet), and organization of public forums and workshops.

Publications
Article Reprints
Archives
Presentations

To inquire about or order any Udall Center publications, please email Colleen Loomis or call the Udall Center at (520) 884-4393.

Most publications available on this website are in PDF format. You need Adobe Reader to view them.

Publications

Elusive Identity: Lessons from an NGO on Mexico's Northern Border
by Emily M. Brott and Anne Browning-Aiken

Presents the results of a survey of members of the Asociación Regional Ambiental Sonora-Arizona (Sonora-Arizona Regional Environmental Association, or ARASA), a young Mexican environmental grassroots group that has faced substantial threats to its survival and efficacy. The research assesses strategies for strengthening the group and offers potentially useful suggestions for other organizations facing similar issues.

2003 27p. ISBN 1-931143-24-2 $5

...to the Sea of Cortes: Nature, Water, Culture, and Livelihood in the Lower Colorado River Basin and Delta: Symposium and Workshop Digest
by Robert G. Varady, Andrea Kaus, Robert Merideth, and Katherine Hankins

Provides a comprehensive review of this conference, held in Riverside, CA, in 2000, which brought together a diverse set of over 200 stakeholders, scholars, and policymakers from the United States and Mexico to discuss the future of the Lower Colorado River Basin and Delta. Participants debated the roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders and laid a groundwork for future policy and research agendas in this area.

2003 ISBN 1-931143-23-4 $7

Beyond Transboundary Environmental Cooperation: Civil Society and Policy Outcomes on the U.S.-Mexico Border
by Basilio Verduzco

Analyzes the relationship between the mobilization of civil society and the development and implementation of transboundary environmental institutions, such as the Border Environmental Cooperation Commission, in the U.S.-Mexico border region. Suggests avenues for the expansion of transboundary cooperation.

2003 26p. ISBN 1-931143-21-8 $5

Binational Watershed Councils as Instruments for Conflict Resolution in the Upper Santa Cruz Watershed
by Christopher Brown

Explores opportunities for watershed approaches to water-resource problems in the Upper Santa Cruz River Basin along the U.S.-Mexico border (Arizona and Sonora) and discusses the utility such approaches may offer in resolving cross-border water conflicts.

2002 25p. ISBN 1-931143-18-8 $5

San Pedro River Basin Directory: A Guide to Agencies and Organizations
by Denise Moreno
(PDF, 262KB)

Provides contact and background information on more than 100 international, federal, state, and local entities in the United States and Mexico that are involved in environmental work in the San Pedro River Basin.

2002 30p. ISBN 1-931143-17-X $5

Feasibility of Purchase and Transfer of Water for Instream Flow in the Colorado River Delta, Mexico
by Peter W. Culp

Presents an overview of the developing legal regime that governs the allocation of water on the Colorado River and asserts that voluntary purchases and transfers of water provide a simple method of assuring a reliable and politically palatable supply of water for the Delta. Proposes the clearest means to overcoming barriers to doing so and discusses the potential reductions in river salinity that could result from a delta flow program if the right source of water is chosen.

2001 45p. ISBN 1-931143-14-5 $7

Views from the Upper San Pedro River Basin: Local Perceptions of Water Issues
by Ann Moote and María Gutiérrez

Offers a preliminary assessment of public perspectives on water management, policy, and research in the San Pedro River Basin based on interviews, surveys, and meetings conducted between April 1998 and December 2000 in the Sonoran communities of Cananea and Naco, and on several ranches and ejidos. (Spanish version available).

Spanish translation available: Opiniones desde la Cuenca Alta del Rio San Pedro: Percepciones Locales sobre Temas Relacionados con el Agua.

2001 57p. $8
ISBN 1-931143-00-5 (Engl) / 1-931143-01-3 (Span)

Sustainability of Water Resources in the Upper San Pedro River Basin: Results of a Survey of Mexican Residents
by Ann Moote, María Gutiérrez, and Allison Howarth

Contains questionnaires and complete statistical results of a public survey of Mexican residents in the Upper San Pedro River Basin conducted between April 1998 and December 2000; analysis presented in the accompanying document, Views from the Upper San Pedro River Basin: Local Perceptions of Water Issues (see above).

Spanish translation available: Sustenabilidad de los Recursos del Agua en la Cuenca Alta del Rio San Pedro: Resultas de una Encuesta de Residentes Mexicanos.

2001 124p. $5
ISBN 1-931143-25-0 (Engl) / 1-931143-26-9 (Span)

Directory of U.S.-Mexico Border Research and Outreach at The University of Arizona
by Robert Merideth, Annika Hipple, and Sara Gavney-Moore
(PDF, 211KB)

Documents the depth and breadth of The University of Arizona's research and outreach activities related to the U.S.-Mexico borderlands with particular strengths in four key areas: environment and natural resources; economic development and planning; society, culture, and education; and public health. Featuring more than 70 faculty members, academic professionals, and staff working in some 30 departments, centers, and institutes, the directory lists projects, publications, resources and materials, dissertation and theses, and contacts for each unit.

2000 44p. $7

The Circle of Poison Remains Unbroken: Pesticide Poisoning in Northern Sonora, Mexico, during the Era of Free Trade
by Rebecca H. Carter

Examines the provisions of free trade agreements (i.e., GATT and NAFTA) that were intended to further safeguard the health and well-being of workers and the environment. Argues that fieldworkers' increased vulnerability is due to more than legal oversights; rather, it is an inherent feature of the economic, political, and social relationship between the United States and Mexico, which increased trade serves to more deeply entrench.

1999 19p. ISBN 1-931143-02-1 $4

Inventory of Environmental, Health, and Sociodemographic Databases for the Arizona-Sonora Border Region
Maura Mack

Created to identify and inventory border-related enviornmental and epidemiological data in each U.S. and Mexican state. Includes contact information, data set details, variables measured, and target populations for 61 databases in the region.

1996 100p.(approx) $5

The U.S.-Mexico Border Region Under Stress: A Binational Symposium on Ideas for Future Research
edited by Robert G. Varady

Final report, proceedings, and recommendations from the symposium of the same name that took place on October 8-9, 1991, in Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico. The symposium was intended to help formulate a research agenda for the U.S.-Mexico border region.

1992 46p. $6

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Article Reprints

"Water Resources Management in the San Pedro Basin: Building Binational Alliances "
by Anne Browning-Aiken, Robert Varady, and Denise Moreno
Winter 2003, Journal of the Southwest 45(4): 611-632
(PDF, 13MB)

A case study examining two watershed initiatives in the Upper San Pedro River basin (ARASA and the Upper San Pedro Partnership), comparing their successes and problems, and concluding with a look at the implications of differences in the U.S. and Mexican portions of the basin for coordinated binational resource management.

"New Survey Reveals Needs of U.S.-Mexico Border Groups"
by Anne Browning-Aiken, Allison Davis, and Denise Moreno
2003. Silver City, NM: Americas Program of the Interhemispheric Resource Center.

Describes a new survey by the Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy suggesting that for U.S.-Mexico border activist groups to be more effective in improving environmental, health, and economic conditions, they need to build long-lasting alliances fostered by personal contact between them.

"Moving Borders from the Periphery to the Center: River Basins, Political Boundaries, and Water Management Policy "
by Robert G. Varady and Barbara Morehouse
2003, from Water: Science, Policy, and Management, edited by R. Lawford, D. Fort, H. Hartmann, and S. Eden. American Geophysical Union Water Resources Monograph 16. Washington, DC: American Geophysical Union.

Negotiating science and policy water interests across borders, particularly international ones, is a significant challenge for scientists and policymakers. The authors discuss the background and key institutional forms of these crucial crossborder collaborations, describe complicating factors, and examine current trends.

"Public-Private Partnerships as Catalysts for Community-based Water Infrastructure Development: The Border Water Works Program in Texas and New Mexico Colonias"
by M. C. Lemos, D. Austin, R. Merideth, and R. G. Varady
April 2002, Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy 20(2):281-95

Examines the Border Water Works Program as a model for the provision of water-supply and waste water infrastructure in colonias of Texas and New Mexico. Assesses--within a framework of public-private partnerships--the program's flexibility of operations, ability to acquire and leverage resources, involvement of colonias' residents, accountability and compatibility with public policy, and dependence on public funds.

"...to the Sea of Cortes: nature, water, culture, and livelihood in the Lower Colorado River basin and delta--an overview of issues, policies, and approaches to environmental restoration"
by R. G. Varady, K. B. Hankins, A. Kaus, E. Young, and R. Merideth
September 2001, Journal of Arid Environments 49(9):195-209

Summarizes discussions and outcomes of a binational symposium and workshop on the Lower Colorado River Basin and Delta. The event brought together key stakeholders representing relevant interests in the region with a focus on historical policy and legal matters; ecology of the river, delta, and ocean; allocation and valuation of water; community and cultural concerns; as well as water quality and wildlife conservation issues.

"Managing Hazardous Materials Along the U.S.-Mexico Border"
by R. G. Varady, P. Romero-Lankao, and K. B. Hankins
December 2001, Environment 43(10):22-36

Discusses how hazardous materials are produced, transported, and disposed of near the U.S.-Mexico border-as well as how they affect the environment and human health-against the backdrop of a host of transboundary issues.

"Water Management Options for the Upper San Pedro River Basin: Assessing the Social and Institutional Landscape"
by R. G. Varady, A. Moote, and R. Merideth
Spring 2000, Natural Resources Journal 40(2):223-35

Examines the Upper San Pedro River, which has drawn considerable attention surrounding its use and protection; water-management options for the surrounding basin; and the groundwater versus surface water nature of the resource and the social and institutional elements of the controversy.

"Hazardous Waste and the U.S.-Mexico Border Region: Toward a Binational University-based Institutional Landscape"
by R. G. Varady, R. G. Arnold, D. E. Carter, R. Guzmán, C. Peña, and W. Suk
March 2000, Environmental Practice 1(2):38-45

Introduces the role that universities might play in improving the hazardous-waste decisionmaking capacities within the region. Summarizes the current state of hazardous-waste problems and the existing institutional framework within which planning for a binational center for hazardous-waste management might be carried out.

"Openness, Sustainability, and Public Participation: New Designs for Transboundary River Basin Institutions"
by L. Milich and R. G. Varady
September 1999, Journal of Environment and Development 8(3):
258-306

Compares conventional approaches to river basin management by transboundary environmental institutions- typically driven from the top, functioning behind closed doors, disregarding sustainability, and relying on technical or regulatory fixes-with a new, more democratic model being tested in the U.S.-Mexico border region in the form of the Border Environmental Cooperation Commission (BECC). Evaluates the extent to which the BECC has fulfilled its promises and the possibility that it might be adapted to serve as a model in other transboundary areas.

"Environmental Issues Along the U.S.-Mexico Border: Drivers of Change and Responses of Citizens and Institutions"
by D. M. Liverman, R. G. Varady, O. Chávez, and R. Sánchez
November 1999, Annual Review of Energy and the Environment 0(24):607-43

Summarizes the range of binational environmental management challenges-including groundwater and surface-water supply limitations, air and water pollution, hazardous waste, and ecosystem conservation-facing the region, placing them in the context of significant recent changes in public policy such as NAFTA. Assesses the role of new institutions such as the International Boundary and Water Commission, Border Environment Cooperation Commission, and Commission for Environmental Cooperation; environmental social movements; and nongovernmental organizations as important agents in mediating these recent environmental and social changes.

"Managing Transboundary Resources: Lessons from River-Basin Accords"
by L. Milich and R. G. Varady
October 1998, Environment 40(8):10-15

Examines three European transboundary river basin accords-pertaining to the Rhine, the Danube, and the Torneälven (separating Finland and Sweden) Rivers-exemplifying the competing values involved in the management of natural resources. Compares these policy instruments to the Border Environmental Cooperation Commission, created as a consequence of NAFTA by the United States and Mexico, which may be the most promising model of openness, transparency, capacity-building, and bottom-up design in transboundary river basin management to date.

"The U.S.-Mexican Border Environment Cooperation Commission: Collected Perspectives on the First Two Years"
by R. G. Varady, D. Colnic, R. Merideth, and T. Sprouse
July 1997, Journal of Borderland Studies 11(2):89-113

Assesses-with particular attention to the key innovative elements of its design-the first two years' activities of the Border Environment Cooperation Commission (BECC) and synthesizes the invited commentary from several BECC observers along both sides of the border. Evaluates the Commission's effectiveness in implementing its unique design, agenda, and project certification criteria.

"Environmental Health and Hazardous Waste Issues Related to the U.S.-Mexico Border"
by D. Carter, C. Peña, R. G. Varady, and W. A. Suk
June 1996, Environmental Health Perspectives 104(6):590-4

Examines the impact of NAFTA and increased trade and industry on environmental health and hazardous waste issues along the border, and the involvement of federal, state, and local governmental institutions in addressing these issues. Highlights the lack of sufficient data and research in the areas of hazardous waste and health assessment.

"The Sonoran Pimeria Alta: Shared Environmental Problems and Challenges"
by R. G. Varady, H. Ingram, and L. Milich
Spring 1995, Journal of the Southwest 37(1):102-22

Surveys the shared environmental problems of the Arizona-Sonora border region, with special attention to Colorado River salinity, the Rio Sonoyta and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, the San Pedro River and Riparian National Conservation Area, and the Ambos Nogales area. Reveals the history of institutional challenges and responses to local drought and flood-related problems, and presents strategies for the future of local cooperative environmental management.

"Transboundary Water Resources and Public Health in the U.S.-Mexico Border Region"
by R. G. Varady and M. D. Mack
April 1995, Journal of Environmental Health 57(8):8-14

Describes the shared environment of Nogales, Sonora, and Nogales, Arizona; the region's water resources and public health issues; and the objectives of the Ambos Nogales Water Project. Presents the findings and the policy implications of the Project's research on three key water-management issues with linkages to public health: quantity, sewerage, and quality.

"Managing Transboundary Resources: Lessons from Ambos Nogales"
by H. Ingram, L. Milich, and R. G. Varady
May 1994, Environment 36(4):6-9, 28-38

Assesses the record of water-management problems and solutions in the twin communities of Ambos Nogales of Arizona and Sonora, and the unique challenges and opportunities presented by its border-specific dynamics in the areas of economic opportunity, the separation of problems and solutions, perceived inequalities, local interest in policy, and grassroots problem solving. Provides detailed recommendations for bridging borders through new institutional arrangements.

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