Baja California Sur faces a structural resource crisis that has hindered its economic, social, and productive development. At the heart of this issue lies a severe water shortage, affecting not only human consumption but also agriculture and livestock.
The state relies primarily on overexploited aquifers, with declining levels and coastal aquifers threatened by saltwater intrusion. Municipalities like Comondú have seen their agricultural and livestock capacity diminish due to the lack of surface water, which is virtually nonexistent for much of the year. The current hydraulic infrastructure is outdated and insufficient, leading to significant losses and limiting any possibility of productive expansion.
This situation has turned water into a bottleneck for development—raising operational costs, discouraging investment, and deepening external dependence on supplies and food. The lack of water has also impacted the quality of life in rural communities, where access to this vital resource is intermittent, precarious, or simply nonexistent.
Paradoxically, the region sits on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, with potential access to an inexhaustible source of water that remains untapped without the use of appropriate technologies like desalination. This contradiction between natural abundance and practical inaccessibility defines the territory’s central challenge.
In addition, the region suffers from logistical isolation, a lack of certified agroindustrial infrastructure for export, and an economy constrained by limited integration into global value chains. Without structural solutions, these problems will continue to perpetuate economic stagnation and the loss of opportunities.