Residents of Mexico City on brink of ‘Day Zero’ disaster as water sources fall to historic lows: ‘It is very difficult to think’
By Kaiyo Funaki, The Cool Down
June 15, 2024
Mexico City is on the brink of a disaster after a devastating combination of hotter, drier weather and inadequate management and infrastructure has left residents conserving every drop of water.
What’s happening?
One of the metropolitan area’s primary water sources hit a historic low, pushing its 22 million citizens toward a disaster known as “Day Zero.” According to The Washington Post, the crisis could reach a tipping point by June 26.
The Cutzamala system supplies Mexico City with about 25% of its water but is operating at around 27% capacity, according to the latest data from the Basin Agency for the Valley of Mexico.
Declining precipitation levels have contributed to the shortage, as records from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service show that the Cutzamala basin has had a decrease in rainfall by about a third over the last two years compared to the trend for the past four decades — as the Post noted.