Desigualdad regional en el uso del agua entre el sector público y el privado en las tres Zonas Metropolitanas del estado de Hidalgo, 1995-2023

The Climate change demands exploring new energy sources other than tra-ditional ones because surface and groundwater are tending to diminish. As long as water is overused for energy, its scarcity will increasingly affect large segments of the population. This paper analyzes the unequal distribution of water for human consumption compared to its use for economic purposes in the three Metropolitan Zones (MZ) of the state of Hidalgo, from 1995 to 2023. The study is based on the record of well concessions granted to private individuals to extract groundwater. The results confirm the hoarding of water as an energy-generating business, contrary to the strong pressure for human consumption. The global problem causing regional inequality in the critical MZ of Pachuca is climate change, whose effect is causing water shortages. At the regional level, urgent environmental mitigation measures are required to mitigate the effects of climate change.