The National Water Commission of Mexico proclaimed a drought emergency last week, enabling the administration to take action to ensure the availability of water. Nearly all of the north and central regions were classified as being in drought conditions by the country’s Drought Monitor.
Everyday life tasks have become challenging in North Mexico
The La Nina weather phenomenon, whose effects have gotten worse with climate change, is associated with the drought. La Nina is a cyclical and natural cooling of the equatorial Pacific that affects global weather patterns. This has resulted in more drought in some regions, such as northern Mexico and the southwest of the United States.
The industrial city of Monterrey, located approximately 35 kilometers to the north, is experiencing a number of issues in addition to the drying up of Santiago’s reservoir. Cerro Prieto, a second reservoir that supplies the city, is less than 1% full, or essentially empty, leaving El Cuchillo, a third reservoir, which is 46% filled.
Under normal circumstances, the reservoirs provide 60% of the city’s water, with the other 40% coming from deep and shallow wells and underground water capturing tunnels. The city intends to increase the usage of tankers to supply water to more remote neighborhoods over the course of the following two weeks. However, analysts believe that the coming weeks will be crucial. Water restrictions in the city will need to be increased if rains arrive later than usual in August.
In 1998 and 2013, the city experienced severe drought, but this time it’s worse because only El Cuchillo has water left. Many people in the city were still unprepared for the water issue this year. Water storage tanks were uncommon in residences. Nowadays, many people have implemented strategies to save water.
For a city accustomed to consuming 4,225 gallons (16,500 liters) per second, it now has only 3,435 gallons (13,000 liters) per second available. It’s not only Monterrey, though. 56 percent of Mexico is reportedly experiencing some level of drought, according to the North American Drought Monitor, a collaborative effort by drought specialists in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
