Attention to communities for social services is correlated to their proximity to the state highway network. The network of paved highways increases accessibility, and thus, the distance from this network affects the ability of social service providers, government officials, and nongovernmental organizations to attend to community needs on a regular basis.  For example, in the areas in the mountains and valleys of Los Cabos and La Paz, the need for resources is greater in localities ranging from 6 – 20 km (3.7 – 12.4 miles) away from the highway than in localities ranging from 0 – 5 km (0 – 3.1 miles) away.  Localities that are up to 120 km (74.6 miles) from the road are severely limited in their development options.[1]

The state government has identified water scarcity and increased demand as a statewide problem, as 18% of the most important aquifers are already overexploited. The main problems include the deterioration in the quality of underground water (saline intrusion and pollution), the insufficiency of water management infrastructure for replenishing the aquifers, insufficient enforcement of laws and regulatory policies governing resource use, and underutilization of seawater as an alternative water source.[2]

The Comisión Nacional de Agua (CNA)’s state manager, Mr. Lorenzo Arrillaga, points to infrastructure improvements as a necessary solution, but consumers at the municipal level must be willing to pay for them.  Mr. Arrillaga reported debts in each municipality as: four million pesos (approximately US$378,340) in Mulegé, two million pesos (approximately US$189,170) in Loreto, 4.5 million pesos (approximately US$425,633) in Comondú, and eleven million pesos (approximately US$1,040,435) in La Paz. Only Los Cabos had no outstanding debts.  If these debts were cleared, the funds could be channeled into water management infrastructure, for which the CNA would contribute 50% of the cost.[3]