​SONORA BS16

Cd. Obregón, Sonora is located on the Yaqui Valley,  limited by the Gulf of California to the west, and the Sierra Madre Occidental to the north and east. 

This Valley, which covers 233,000 hectares, is the birthplace of the Green Revolution by Dr. Norman E. Borlaug in 1943. Now, The Yaqui Valley is one of the most important places developing intensive agriculture around the world, where irrigation water, fertilizers, and other inputs are used to obtain the highest yield of wheat. In the mid-twentieth century, the Mexican government and the international development community identified the Yaqui Valley as an appropriate center for agricultural research and development due to its agro-climatic conditions. Major development of fisheries, the engagement of international conservation community in the adjacent oceans, the development of coastal aquaculture, and the rapid increase in livestock operations were likewise a part of the story in the valley and surrounding regions.

The Yaqui Valley provides a story of agricultural and economic development that is emulated by several countries around the world. Over the past several decades, the Yaqui Valley  involves the study of the environmental, resource, economy, and social challenges related to water resources, air and water pollution impacts of global environmental and policy changes, human health concerns, biodiversity conservation, and climate change. Thus, the Yaqui Valley has been a focus of disciplinary research for decades.​

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