Organization of rural irrigation in two Zapotec communities in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca

Abstract

This article analyzes the rural irrigation system in the Zapotec communities of Santa Catarina Quiané and San Nicolás Quialana, located in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, on the banks of the polluted Atoyac River. This text begins with the recognition that access to water for irrigation is not only a technical problem, but also a political, cultural, and environmental one.The objective is toexamine howthese communities, through their internal regulatory systems, collectively manage groundwater to sustain family farming and ensure food security. The study employs a qualitative methodology based on fi     work, participant observation, and interviews with local and regional stakeholders, including local authorities, water committees, and farmers involved in irrigation. The results reveal that community irrigation combines ancestral knowledge and modern techniques, enabling the maintenance of community-based management and organization of irrigation water in the face of increasingly intense urban pressures on their lands. The discussion highlights their capacity to adapt to challenges such as rising costs, internal tensions, and overexploitation of the aquifer. It is concluded that these systems represent current forms of local organization for access to water, with relevance to water justice and food sovereignty.