From Data to Decisions: Building Local Capacity for Groundwater Quality Monitoring in Arid and Semi-Arid Mexico
by Heriberto Gonzalez
- https://www.uni-giessen.de/de/fbz/zentren/zeu/newsnevents/events/fromdatatodecisions
- From Data to Decisions: Building Local Capacity for Groundwater Quality Monitoring in Arid and Semi-Arid Mexico
- 2026-07-29T13:00:00+02:00
- 2026-07-29T15:00:00+02:00
- by Heriberto Gonzalez
29.07.2026 von 13:00 bis 15:00 (Europe/Berlin / UTC200)
Zeughaus, Ze-S4, 1 OG
Online participation is possible under the following link: https://webconf.hrz.uni-giessen.de/rooms/bjo-lyj-hqj-7u3
Abstract: Groundwater in arid and semi-arid regions of Mexico is widely affected by naturally occurring arsenic and fluoride contamination, posing chronic health risks to urban and rural communities that depend on wells for drinking water. My PhD research addresses this problem by designing a groundwater monitoring network, combining geostatistical methods to identify priority wells with an analysis of the sociopolitical barriers that often keep such technical networks from functioning effectively on the ground. In this talk, I will focus on how citizen science can serve as a participatory alternative to these barriers, through a capacity-building process grounded in hands-on learning, where local partnerships between civil society organizations and educational institutions provide the continuity and pedagogical support needed to sustain community-led monitoring over time. Drawing on this experience, I discuss why a technical monitoring network alone cannot resolve groundwater quality problems, and how, paired with community participation, it becomes a tool for awareness, exposure reduction, and more responsive public policy.
About the speaker: Heriberto González Sánchez is a PhD candidate in Environmental Sciences at the Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí (UASLP), Mexico, where he also holds a master’s degree in water technology and management and works as a Research Assistant in the Earth Sciences Area, Faculty of Engineering. Trained as a civil engineer, his work draws on the hydrogeosciences, including hydrogeology, hydrogeochemistry, and geophysics, applied to the study and monitoring of groundwater quality and availability. His research line seeks to integrate technical knowledge with processes of social participation, promoting community-based monitoring schemes and local capacity building. He is currently a visiting researcher at the ZEU, Justus Liebig University Giessen.