Mexico is facing an unprecedented water crisis, as population growth and climate change place increasing stress on an already stretched water supply.

Water scarcity has long been an impending concern in arid nations across the world. But now ‘Day Zero’ – the day when water resources become irreversibly scarce – is rapidly approaching in Mexico, a crisis driven by population growth, inequality in access, pollution and the ever-accelerating impact of climate change.

According to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), water stress occurs when demand exceeds supply, or when water quality renders it unusable. In Mexico, both issues are now a daily reality. Industrial expansion, overpopulation, and inadequate public policies have exacerbated the crisis, which is felt most acutely in rural areas and by vulnerable communities. Without immediate intervention – through investment in infrastructure, legislative reform, and robust water management – the situation is predicted to worsen, threatening not just the country’s economy, but the health and well-being of millions of Mexicans.

Sarah Hartman, a Mexico groundwater and environmental policy expert at Australia’s National Water Agency, has been raising the alarm. Speaking with Mexico News Daily, she emphasised the lack of public awareness around water and sanitation issues.

“We have to try to do the best with what we have,” Hartman said, explaining that there are a handful of simple steps that could dramatically improve water quality. “If my water has chlorine in it and some bacteria falls on dust particles into that water, the point of that chlorine is to disinfect to get that bacteria that’s just fallen in. If I keep leaving my water out uncovered, there is going to be a point at which there’s bacteria coming in, that can’t be removed by chlorine plus you have dust in your water… so the solution is to keep your water covered. These are simple things we don’t think about [in Mexico] at all.”

In Mexico, the National Water Commission (CONAGUA) serves as the country’s primary institution for managing water resources. Recently, CONAGUA released a report through the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) highlighting the overwhelming use of water for agricultural purposes. According to the report 76 per cent of the nation’s water is consumed by the agricultural sector in order to feed Mexico’s growing population.

The scale of Mexico’s water problem is exacerbated by declining water availability. According to data from the World Bank, Mexico’s per capita water availability has dropped from 10,000 cubic meters per year in 1960 to just 4,000 in 2012. Projections indicate this figure could drop well below 3,000 cubic meters by 2030, an alarming decline that could have far-reaching consequences.

Mexico’s water crisis is inseparable from the global challenges of human induced climate change. A study by the Inter-American Network of Academies of Sciences (IANAS) identifies five key drivers of water quality degradation: population growth, industrialisation, urbanisation, changes in land use, and human activities. These forces have intensified water scarcity across Mexico and much of the world.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 1.1 billion people globally lack access to clean water, and 2.6 billion lack adequate sanitation. In Mexico, while 92% of the population has access to drinking water, only 14% receive safe treated water at home.

A recent report by S&P Global Ratings forecasts that by 2050, 20 of Mexico’s 32 states could face severe water stress, with 60 per cent of the country’s territory likely to suffer reduced economic growth due to drought.

Mexico’s new president Claudia Sheinbaum has stated that the availability of clean and safe water forms a cornerstone of her government’s agenda, pledging to guarantee access to clean water through a National Water Plan.

But many in the country are unconvinced. With population growth and foreign investment driving up water demand, particularly in megacities like Mexico City, and while pollution and inefficient management continue to exacerbate the problem, Mexico has uncertain times ahead.

At the time of writing, the population of Mexico sits at approximately 131.199 million, a 33 per cent increase since 2000. The fertility rate (average number of births per mother) is currently at 1.89.

Submitted by Friends of Retha


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