First, the good news: Mexico City won’t run out of all water in a few weeks as some media reports have alarmingly suggested.
The much-touted arrival on June 26 of the so-called “Day Zero,” the point when the city can’t supply any more water to its citizens and companies, is in fact a theoretical exercise mentioned by the press for months but unlikely to happen in the short term.
Now for the bad news: Due to a combination of persistent drought, higher temperatures and antiquated infrastructure, the perennial water scarcity problems of Mexico’s capital are becoming dangerously worse. While deficient water systems aren’t a novelty for the city, one of the world’s largest urban centers, the current situation is exacerbated by an unprecedented climatic stress on the region’s water resources. More than 70% of the country is experiencing some degree of drought, and the main dams are filled to just 36% of capacity compared with 50% in February. As such, this water crisis poses an ongoing challenge that requires serious and sustained efforts to manage and mitigate.
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