Date of Graduation
Spring 5-16-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts in International Studies (MAIS)
College/School
College of Arts and Sciences
Department/Program
International Studies
First Advisor
John Zarobell
Second Advisor
Nora Fisher Onar
Abstract
This thesis examines the structural limitations of the 1944 U.S.–Mexico Water Treaty in the context of intensifying climate stress and growing population demand. Using GIS-based raster analysis of precipitation from 1981 to 2024, it maps hydrological trends in treaty-bound basins—particularly the Rio Grande and Lower Colorado—which exhibit persistently low and variable precipitation. These conditions, coupled with institutional rigidity, threaten the sustainability of binational water management. In addition to quantitative analysis, the study includes a qualitative assessment of transboundary governance dynamics, highlighting how institutional fragmentation and policy contention impede adaptive responses. The Treaty’s current surface-water-only framework excludes groundwater management, real-time data integration, and demographic forecasting. To address these gaps, the study proposes six targeted policy reforms and evaluates the feasibility of treaty renegotiation, ultimately recommending a region-specific framework for the Rio Grande basin that is adaptive, coordinated, and responsive to 21st-century environmental and demographic pressures.
Recommended Citation
Sarabia, Pedro L., "GIS and the 1944 U.S.–Mexico Treaty: Rethinking Transboundary Governance under Climate and Demographic Stress" (2025). Master's Theses. 1598.
https://repository.usfca.edu/thes/1598
Included in
Geographic Information Sciences Commons, International Relations Commons, Nature and Society Relations Commons, Other International and Area Studies Commons
