Implementation Lessons of a Water Insecurity Intervention During a Drought in Mexico

Area of Science:

• Climate change adaptation
• Public health interventions
• Implementation science

Background:

• Extreme climate events pose significant risks to human health.
• Water insecurity is a growing concern exacerbated by climate and infrastructure issues.
• Nuevo Leon, Mexico, declared a state of emergency in 2022 due to severe water shortages.

Purpose of the Study:

• To document facilitators and challenges in implementing a government strategy to mitigate water insecurity.
• To analyze the rollout of emergency water-related activities coordinated by the Ministry of Social Policy.
• To apply the EquIR Implementation Science framework to understand intervention effectiveness.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods approach was employed.
• Included a review of gray and academic literature.
• Government documents and 10 key-informant interviews were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Facilitators included emergency declaration, inter-sectoral collaboration, existing infrastructure, technical capacity, and flexible response.
• Challenges comprised citizen discontent, lack of preparedness, storage scarcity, distribution inefficiencies, installation difficulties, and staff burnout.
• Positive outcomes included improved water distribution in informal settlements.

Conclusions:

• Lessons from Mexico's water crisis response can inform strategies in drought-prone regions.
• Effective mitigation requires understanding the interplay of climate, infrastructure, and population coping capacity.
• Strengthening collaboration and a culture of prevention are key to buffering health from climate stressors.