Increasing water shortages affecting Texas are causing tension between the U.S. and Mexico

Tensions between the U.S. and Mexico rise over water shortages at the border (Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar/The Texas Tribune)

A long-standing water dispute between the United States and Mexico and particularly affecting Texas communities that depend on the Rio Grande, is growing in tension, with local leaders urging the Mexican government to fulfill water-sharing obligations or face potential cuts in U.S. aid, according to a Washington Post report.

Mexico, facing its own drought pressures, has historically been reluctant to deliver water from its reservoirs to the United States, actions that have left several Texas towns in a dire situation, with key reservoirs at historic lows.