Smart Farming Technologies for Groundwater Conservation in Transboundary Aquifers of Northwestern México

In Mexico, more than 70% of water rights are allocated to agriculture, yet irrigation efficiency remains low, ranging from 40% to 60%. In arid regions of northwestern México and the southwestern United States, prolonged drought, rising temperatures, and elevated evapotranspiration intensify irrigation demand and accelerate depletion of shared transboundary groundwater aquifers, which represent the primary water source for agriculture and communities on both sides of the border. Continued overexploitation threatens the long-term viability of these interconnected systems, underscoring the urgent need for coordinated, binational strategies for sustainable groundwater management. This study presents the implementation of water-saving technologies to enhance irrigation efficiency in small farms within transboundary basins, using Smart Farming Technologies (SFT) and Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) approaches. A real-time digital platform was developed to collect soil and atmospheric data through sensors and weather stations connected via a LoRaWAN network. These data were used to estimate localized evapotranspiration and crop-specific water requirements for pecan orchards. By synchronizing irrigation with actual crop water demand, farmers significantly reduced groundwater pumping, energy consumption, and conveyance losses. After five years, water use declined by approximately 60% compared to traditional flood irrigation. Broad adoption of these tools can mitigate transboundary aquifer depletion, strengthen cross-border collaboration, and promote resilient, water-efficient agriculture under increasing climate stress.