Community water management and quality of life: the independent water governance committees in Toluca, Mexico

Abstract

Water governance is a topic linked to changes in the quality of community life due to the impact of water shortages and the decline in water quality in the locality, in terms of conflict. It also encompasses housing conditions and community participation in water management. Officials in Mexico have underlined the need to incorporate communities into this management. The aim of this chapter is to shed light on the difficulties of operating governance networks in independent potable water committees in Mexico, particularly in the community of San Felipe Tlalmimilolpan. The document shows that there is an independent operating committee responsible for the distribution of potable water, which provides a service, even though it is not responsible for other aspects of community life. However, this is not recognized by the legislation or government officials. In other words, there is a limited participatory management model, which prevents full community water governance, which in turn affects the quality of community life.