Mexico hit by its worst drought in 30 years
Environment — di Andrea Barolini
Mexico's water supply problems are worsening due to a severe drought episode. At the same time, wildfires are multiplying.
Mexico hit by its worst drought in 30 years
Mexico's water supply problems are worsening due to a severe drought episode. At the same time, wildfires are multiplying.
A prolonged and extremely widespread drought episode is hitting Mexico. The phenomenon now affects 85 per cent of the territory of the Central American nation. And according to the authorities, it is so severe that it risks drying up the water basins that normally guarantee the population's water supply.
The risk of water shortages in Mexico City
According to the mayor of Mexico City, this is the worst drought episode in 30 years. The freshwater reservoir of Villa Victoria, to the west of the capital, currently holds only a third of its normal capacity. The Associated Press reports that a 10,000-litre tanker truck, which is normally filled in around 30 minutes, now takes three and a half hours due to the reduced flow.
Drought in Mexico reaches critical levels as lakes dry up aje.io/x2qzm via @AJEnglish
The risk is that the Villa Victoria reservoir could be completely dried up by mid-May. This is a enormous problem, as it supplies a large part of the water for the nine million inhabitants of Mexico City. The rest comes from wells and aquifers in the surrounding area of the capital, but the ageing water network causes significant losses.
A wildfire in the state of Morelos has destroyed 310 hectares of forest
Likewise, in the state of Michoacan, Mexico's second largest basin, Lake Cuitzeo, is at risk of being lost. Some 70 per cent of its bed is now dry. Governor Silvano Aureoles has stated that, as a result of the drying up, dust storms carried by the wind are being recorded in the surrounding areas. The inhabitants of these areas have submitted a petition to the government, highlighting how such dust has caused respiratory and intestinal problems in tens of thousands of people.
The absence of rainfall is also fuelling the outbreak of wildfires. The national forest commission of the state of Morelos reported that a blaze that broke out in mid-April quickly destroyed 310 hectares of forest. The flames spread across the Tepozteco tourist mountain range.
Hundreds of firefighters and volunteers had to be deployed to bring the fire under control. According to the National Civil Protection Coordination, since the start of spring, around 80 wildfires have been recorded in Mexico.