Water scarcity in Mexico
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The extent of
water scarcity Water scarcity (closely related to water stress or water crisis) is the lack of fresh water Water resources, resources to meet the standard water demand. There are two types of water scarcity: physical or economic water scarcity. Physical water ...
in Mexico is so serious that the
government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...
released an advertising campaign titled "February 2010: The City May Run Out of Water". With an ever-increasing demand and an increasingly limited supply, certain cities in
Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
risk being void of water. There may be other major global metropolises (e.g.
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
) that have invested more effort and money than Mexico City to bring in water from afar. Mexico City's hydrological paradox is that (unlike Los Angeles) it gets more than enough rain to, in theory, keep the 21 million people who live in and around it adequately supplied with water. Its average annual precipitation is about twice that of Los Angeles, and even exceeds that of famously damp London. But most of the rainfall (or hail) comes during the summer, and often during just a few epic storms. So when it is wet, it is much too wet, and the city has built a massive infrastructure over the past five centuries to get the water out quickly. To keep hydrated during the drier months, Mexico City imports water from other regions but mainly just pumps from underground, which causes land subsidence, which makes flooding worse. Currently in Mexico, agriculture accounts for 77% of water use, industry 10% and domestic uses 13%. As a consequence of the 1980 economic crisis, the Mexican irrigation infrastructure became a victim of underinvestment and neglect. Of the 82 irrigation districts present, 42 are in a state of slow deterioration,Giugale M, 2001.
Mexico, A Comprehensive Development Agenda for the New Era
. The World Bank
exacerbating an inefficient usage of water. Furthermore, in a water-saving tax ''Tarifa 09'', the biggest users of water by far - the farmers, were actually exempted. With an increasing population, and considerable economic activities, the Mexican residents of semi-arid and arid north, northwest and central regions use on average of water a day, compared to their US counterparts who use only .Casey N, 2009.
Weather Worsens Mexico City's Water Shortage
, ''Wall Street Journal''. Retrieved 10 September 2011
These regions also account for 84% of Mexico's GDP, have 77% of the population, but have only 28% of runoff water supply. Such high demand factors coupled with low water supplies, means water scarcity is particular evident and serious in these regions. Mexico is also heavily dependent on underground
aquifer An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing, permeable rock, rock fractures, or unconsolidated materials (gravel, sand, or silt). Groundwater from aquifers can be extracted using a water well. Aquifers vary greatly in their characterist ...
s, as it continues to draw water from these sources to supply almost 70% of its needs. However, the rate of extraction has far exceeded replenishment. As of 2010, 101 of the 653 aquifers in Mexico are severely exploited, all of which are located in the water-scarce regions. Continual draining of water from such aquifers has resulted in the city plunging some 10 meters in the 20th century, clearly indicating that other alternatives are required to sustain the water supply of Mexico. An alternative is the tapping of water from the Cutzamala dam system. Huge pipes that used to expel wastewater to prevent flooding are now being used to pipe water into the city from the dam system.Ellingwood K, 2009.
Mexico water shortage becomes crisis amid drought
, ''Los Angeles Times''. Retrieved 10 September 2011
Water is transported across a total distance of 180 kilometers and almost 1000 meters in altitude to reach water-scarce states. However, this presents no viable long-term solution either, as the dam system itself is drying up. Enduring the worst drought in 70 years, the Cutzamala basin is only at 47% of its capacity. Yet its water level continues to fall rapidly. Providing a fifth of Mexico's water, the poor infrastructural state of the aged system underscores a loss of 40% or 6000 litres of water every second before reaching Mexico.Andrea A, 2011.
Water Loss: 6000 Liters Per Second!
. Retrieved 10 September 2011
Repair projects requiring M70 million have since been shelved, contributing to the standstill in efforts to solve Mexico's water scarcity problem.


See also

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Water resources in Mexico Water resources management is a significant challenge for Mexico. The country has in place a system of water resources management that includes both central (federal) and decentralized (basin and local) institutions. Furthermore, water manageme ...
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Water supply and sanitation in Mexico Water supply and sanitation in Mexico is characterized by achievements and challenges. Among the achievements is a significant increase in access to piped water supply in urban areas (88% to 93%) as well as in rural areas (50% to 74%) between 1 ...


References

{{North America topic, Water scarcity in
Scarcity In economics, scarcity "refers to the basic fact of life that there exists only a finite amount of human and nonhuman resources which the best technical knowledge is capable of using to produce only limited maximum amounts of each economic good. ...
Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...