Abstract

In the official publication on Availability on September 17, 2020, a total recharge was estimated in the various aquifers considered for the Yucatan Peninsula, yielding a total figure of 25,315.70 Mm3 annually and 17,341.6 Mm3 annually for the Committed Natural Discharge (DNC). ), according to what is published about the total currently extracted from the subsoil, which is 4,965.25 Mm3/year, there is an average availability of 3,008.91 Mm3/year, so, from this level of analysis, there is no restriction on granting more concessions for the use of groundwater for various consumptive uses, including agriculture and urban public consumption in the Yucatan Peninsula. However, the variability and complexity of the karst system implies that recharge is not homogeneous in the territory, so it is possible to affirm that there are subsystems with characteristics that distinguish them from others, defined as local hydrogeological subunits where extraction is exceeding the availability and the human right to water, the integrity of the health of ecosystems and the increased concentrations of contaminants are being put at risk, by exploiting water destined for Compromised Natural Discharges, which will worsen by 2050 due to the effect of change climate. In these scenarios of pressure on availability, there may be risks of salinization, scarcity, increased concentrations of contaminants, drying and salinization of wetlands, among others, associated with the consumption of water from the local DNC. This reinforces the need to deepen research on recharge in a context of climate change to incorporate it into water planning. Other research needs on the topic are the relationship between land use change and recharge in karst soil, as well as the local effects of water consumption destined for DNC in the UPs. These actions are mentioned in Chapter 5 of the PHR-PY 2020-2024, as one of the eight collective regional water management activities.

Keywords: Water balance, availability, climate change, planning units.