There is a controversy in groundwater management: some people argue that public participation has decreased efficiency in decision-making, while others believe this process is not executed effectively. Questions about whether public participation results from the context involving influential people, the rules, or the way participation mechanisms were designed need examination. In this study, opportunities, barriers, and challenges of public participation were analyzed in the management of a coastal aquifer affected by marine intrusion in the Maneadero Valley, México. Mixed methods were implemented, involving 28 interviews with key actors and 50 surveys conducted during 2014 and 2017 with groundwater users. Results show that public participation is mainly determined by power differences, lack of continuity in the participatory processes, and the design of the participation mechanisms. State actors have greater decision-making power in integrated groundwater management. In contrast, groundwater users have limited participation in the process of making proposals, and their participation is generally passive. There are limitations to broad, informed, and responsible public participation: examples of these limitations include different levels of information, inappropriate institutional arrangements, failure to disseminate scientific information, lack of spaces to exercise public participation, and absence of political will. Hence, to improve Maneadero aquifer management, it is necessary to decentralize decision-making, integrate technical and non-technical knowledge, generate scientific evidence about water availability, and give a prominent role to stakeholders and users from the initial stages. In addition, internalization and water culture are required. These results can help to guide integrated groundwater management in other arid regions.

Adequate sanitation is essential for health, human well-being, the preservation of water resources, biodiversity, and the full enjoyment of human rights. Sanitation is a human right, and although it is linked to the human right to water (HRW), it has specific characteristics that deserve particular attention. These components are (1) availability; (2) quality; (3) physical accessibility; (4) affordability; (5) acceptability; (6) equality and non-discrimination; (7) government management and inter-institutional coordination; (8) access to information and participation; and (9) environmental protection. These components enable the analysis of other aspects that may not be fully considered from the traditional sanitation approach. This research aims to analyze the context of the realization of the human right to sanitation (HRS) in Mexico, for a future comprehensive assessment. The study was conducted through documentary and national news coverage research. It concluded that there are still significant challenges to realizing this human right in Mexico. Findings suggest that besides the infrastructure and pollution difficulties, there are other problems like physical and economic access to sanitation for the vulnerable population, inequality between urban and rural areas, the lack of maintenance work of sanitation infrastructure, and the lack of effective coordination between the authorities responsible for sanitation.

Access to water and sanitation remains a major global challenge and has been prioritized in international sustainable development agendas. In 2015, it was incorporated into the Sustainable Development Goals (Goal 6), aiming for universal and sustainable access by 2030. While water provision often receives more attention due to its immediate impact on quality of life, sanitation is equally relevant for public health and environmental protection. This study examines sanitation in Mexico, focusing on the urban area of Ensenada, Baja California. Despite significant progress in sewer coverage, persistent challenges remain, particularly discrepancies between local and national data that hinder accurate assessment and policy development. Adopting a human rights perspective, this research analyzes technical and social factors affecting access and quality of sanitation services, with a special emphasis on sustainability in wastewater management. A mixed-methods approach—combining documentary research, surveys, and stakeholder interviews—was employed. Results reveal low public awareness of sanitation as a human right, deficiencies in the cleanliness and maintenance of public sanitary facilities, and persistent accessibility barriers for vulnerable populations. Additionally, concerns about septic system failures, wastewater odors (reported daily by 20% of residents), and doubts about treatment effectiveness (expressed by over 65%) were prominent. Nevertheless, the study identifies opportunities for alternative sanitation solutions. Recommendations include infrastructure upgrades, community education initiatives, and continuous monitoring to ensure sustainable, equitable sanitation management, both locally and globally.

El saneamiento es un derecho humano reconocido a nivel internacional y nacional. Como tal, uno de los principales retos que tienen los Estados es lograr su realización progresiva. Sin embargo, México enfrenta diversos problemas para atender los temas de saneamiento, tales como cuestiones técnicas, sociodemográficas, presupuestales, institucionales, normativas, entre otras, que dificultan el cumplimiento de este derecho. Esto implica que los abordajes para atender esas problemáticas pueden ser variados. Este trabajo se centra en analizar la inclusión del derecho humano al saneamiento (DHS) en las políticas públicas de México, específicamente en el marco jurídico e institucional, de acuerdo con los estándares internacionales para garantizar la implementación efectiva de este derecho. La investigación se realizó a través de una revisión documental que incluyó literatura especializada sobre políticas públicas en materia de saneamiento, así como informes gubernamentales y documentos jurídicos. Entre los principales resultados se encontró que es necesario: 1) socializar la definición de saneamiento como un derecho humano autónomo que merece igual atención que otros derechos humanos; 2) incluir equitativamente todos los elementos del DHS en la legislación mexicana; y 3) evaluar la implementación del DHS, tanto en el ámbito nacional, como en lo local.