In the midst of a worrying drought, Mexico faces the threat of “Day zero“, a term that describes the time in the future when cities will not be able to meet the demand for waterrecently a researcher at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) revealed the first areas that will run out of water in Mexico in 2024.
According to researcher Mario Hernández Hernández from the Institute of Geophysics (IGF) of the UNAMthe most affected regions will be those in the northeast of the country, such as Tijuanawhich could reach this critical point in the first place due to groundwater scarcity and limited runoff.
Hernandez explained that Mexico It is divided into three distinct regions in terms of water availability and use. In the southeast, despite having abundant surface water, it is not fully used due to its smaller population.
In contrast, in the center of the country, where large cities and industries are concentrated, the demand for water is high and growing. Finally, the northeast, characterized by its aridity, is highly dependent on groundwater, making it highly vulnerable to shortage.
The specialist identified two main challenges in relation to the water in Mexico. First, the availability and distribution of the resource, which is affected by the growing urban, agricultural, livestock and industrial demand. Second, the quality of the water, which must meet regulatory standards to be suitable for human consumption.
Impact on cities like Tijuana and Monterrey
Tijuana, with approximately 2 million inhabitants, is supplied mainly by groundwater, which exposes it to risks of depletion.
Hernández Hernández also pointed out that Monterrey was close to experiencing a “Day Zero” two years ago due to the lower availability of water in the dams that supply it, which forced it to look for increasingly distant and unsustainable water sources.
#39Day #Zero39 #areas #run #water #Mexico
