17 VERY SERIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS IN MEXICO - ENVIRONMENT - 2025

The environmental problems in Mexico affect all ecosystems. Mexican biodiversity is strongly affected, and even some species are in danger of extinction.

In Mexico, serious environmental problems are evident, such as air pollution generated as a result of gases generated by cars and factories.

Puebla, Mexico

There is also a serious contamination of the water that was generated, among other aspects, by the abrupt growth of the population and by the smuggling of chemical fluids, which end up spilling into the rivers, lakes and beaches of Mexico.

In addition to fauna and flora, humans have been affected by these environmental problems. Air pollution has generated chronic respiratory problems in some Mexicans, especially those who live in large cities.

It has also been determined through studies that the inhabitants of Mexico have high levels of lead and cadmium in the blood, which results in a high risk of suffering from kidney disease, stomach disease, or even cancer.

The main causes of these environmental problems involve state regulations, whose application is not strict in terms of preventing harmful actions, or in the corresponding sanctions once an action that harms the environment has been committed.

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The most relevant environmental problems in Mexico

1- Air pollution

Air pollution in Mexico. Source: Creator: Fidel Gonzalez

This is one of the best known problems in Mexico. The United Nations Organization declared Mexico City the most polluted in the world in 1992, presenting significant environmental problems.

In 2013, the Megalopolis Environmental Commission (CAMe) was created to deal with recurring emergencies due to air pollution in the Valley of Mexico.

Metropolitan Air Quality Index

This commission uses the Metropolitan Air Quality Index (IMECA), based on the levels of various atmospheric pollutants. Among these are ozone, suspended particles, sulfur and nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide.

Environmental contingencies

Environmental contingencies occur periodically because the IMECA reaches the range considered dangerous due to poor air quality (higher than 101). The first major air pollution contingency in Mexico City occurred in 1987, when large numbers of birds even died.

Chronology of contingencies

Emergencies have occurred in 2002 with an IMECA of 242 points, in 2016 when it reached 203 points and during 2019 another emergency was declared when 158 IMECA points were reached.

According to the Autonomous University of Mexico, tropospheric ozone levels in the Valley of Mexico exceed what is allowed for half the year. According to Mexican regulations, tropospheric ozone must not exceed 80 parts per billion.

2- Deforestation

According to figures from the Institute of Geography of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, this country loses about 500 thousand hectares of jungles and forests annually. Given this reality, Mexico is the fifth country in the world in terms of the accelerated rate of deforestation.

Deforestation is generated as a consequence of the use of soils as scenarios for cultivation, or for the construction of industries or urban complexes.

Government data have determined that at least 17% of the Mexican surface is totally eroded.

This has resulted in a large part of the terrestrial ecosystem of Mexico, such as tropical and temperate forests, having been disappearing, and that they may disappear completely.

3- Water pollution by chemical spills

Mexico has suffered several chemical spills in its territory. This is considered to be the consequence of lax state regulation and low environmental commitment in some of the managers of large Mexican industries.

In August 2014, about 40 thousand liters of sulfuric acid, a highly toxic element for living beings that can cause death, was spilled into the Sonora River.

That same month there was an oil spill in the Hondo river, in Veracruz; and another one on the San Juan River, in Nuevo León. These two spills were attributed to illegal pipeline intakes.

The consequence of this pollution affects all living beings that inhabit the waters, livestock and human beings.

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4- Water pollution by household drainage

One of the most worrying problems in Mexico is its drainage system, which usually directs household waste to rivers, lakes, beaches and other aquatic ecosystems.

This has led to the destruction of reefs, wetlands and mangroves. The absence of strict regulations regarding wastewater treatment has resulted in thousands of animal species being affected.

An example of this is Xochimilco, a place located southeast of Mexico City that has more than 140 aquatic species essential for Mexican fauna, and that is being affected, among other things, by home drainage in river beds and on beaches.

You may be interested The 14 Most Common Types of Ecosystems in Mexico.

5- Species in danger of extinction and loss of biodiversity

As a consequence of pollution and deforestation, there is a great Mexican biodiversity that is in danger of extinction.

Mexico is considered to be one of the countries with the greatest biodiversity in the world, and this depends directly on the country's terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

It is estimated that more than 2% of the Mexican fauna, which in many cases cannot be found in other parts of the world, is at risk of extinction. An example of this is the axolotl, an amphibian that is capable of regenerating on its own. Also in danger of extinction is the vaquita marina, a cetacean endemic to Mexico that is usually found in shallow waters.

According to the National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO), the primary vegetation coverage has been reduced by 50%. In addition, according to the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources, there are 98 species already extinct in this country.

Wetlands

According to CONABIO, climate change is affecting Mexican wetlands. In the states of Sonora, Coahuila and Durango, nearly 2,500 km of rivers have dried up and 92 springs have been depleted.

You may be interested in 20 Plants in Danger of Extinction in Mexico.

6- Invasion of exotic species

The introduction of exotic species in a region (non-native species) is a serious environmental problem because these species often lack natural competitors. Therefore, they become pests that affect agriculture and wildlife because many cases compete advantageously with native species.

Species diversity

According to the National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO) the list of exotic species includes an extensive diversity of organisms. They have been introduced from viruses, bacteria, fungi and algae, to plants and animals of various taxonomic groups.

Many introduced plants end up transforming into agricultural weeds, as do insects, mollusks, and rodents. The total list of invasive species in Mexico reaches 351, the majority being plants (47%) and fish (18%).

The moth (

An example is the moth, which when introduced in Mexico has caused serious economic losses in the cultivation of nopal. The moth is a lepidopteran (butterfly) whose larvae feed on the stems of the nopal, a widely cultivated cactus in Mexico.

7- Fishing overexploitation

The massive overfishing in Mexico has resulted in the non-adequate recovery of fish and, therefore, the danger of extinction of some species.

There are some marine reserves, but they cover only 2% of Mexico's aquatic territory. Illegal fishing and species smuggling are factors closely related to fishing overexploitation.

There are also criticisms regarding the government's position on this problem, since the existing regulation is not strictly enforced.

8- Illegal species trafficking

One of the serious problems that affect biodiversity in Mexico is the illegal trade in wild species. Among the plant species most threatened by this trade are cacti, orchids and palms.

While in the case of fauna, the most affected species are birds such as parrots (parrots and macaws) and toucans. Such are the cases of the yellow-headed parakeet (Amazona oratrix), the scarlet macaw (Ara macao) and the yellow-breasted toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus).

Similarly, primates such as the howler monkey (Alouatta palliata) and the spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi) are illegally traded. Even spiders like the red-kneed tarantula (Brachypelma smithi) and iguanas, like the black iguana (Ctenosaura pectinata) and the green one (Iguana iguana).

The Psittacidae family

An example of the terrible consequences of the illegal trafficking of species is the case of parakeets, parrots and macaws. Of the 22 species of parrots in Mexico, 11 are threatened with extinction, mainly due to capture for commercialization and 77% of the animals captured die in this process.

9- Garbage

Garbage management in Mexico. Source: AlejandroLinaresGarcia In Mexico, more than 50 million tons of garbage are produced per year, which implies a quota of just over 1 kg / person per day. Only in electronic waste more than 29,000 million tons are generated per month, being Mexico the second Latin American producer of this type of waste.

10- Desertification

Desertification Source: In order to comply with the use and licensing terms of this image, the following text must be included with the image when published in any medium, failure to do so constitutes a violation of the licensing terms and copyright infringement: © Tomas Castelazo, www.tomascastelazo.com / Wikimedia Commons

60% of the Mexican territory is arid or semi-arid, and among the main causes are the improper use of agrochemicals, overgrazing, and deforestation for the expansion of agricultural lands. This, together with overpopulation, causes serious problems of degradation of their soils.

In some cases, desertification advances under the effects of wind erosion, as for example in the regions of Querétaro and Hidalgo. In others, the main problem is the salinization of soils such as in Baja California, Tamaulipas and Sinaloa.

Also the spread of avocado cultivation in Michoacán is contributing to desertification, due to its high demand for water and the deforestation of forested areas for its expansion.

11- Pollution of the seas

The Mexican coasts present high percentages of contamination, especially by solid waste discharged by rivers and carried away by marine currents. Most of the waste is plastic, but there are also problems with the excessive proliferation of the algae Sargassum (Sargassum spp.).

Sargassum

In 2018 it was estimated that about 24 million cubic meters of sargassum had reached the shores of southeast Mexico. The proliferation of algae affects tourism in the area and causes the death of species of fish, turtles and other marine species.

On the other hand, its decomposition on the beaches generates public health problems because it has high levels of arsenic and other heavy metals. The population explosion of sargassum and its massive arrival on the coasts is due to eutrophication processes and ocean warming.

The dead zone of the Gulf of Mexico

One of the major environmental problems at the level of marine ecosystems in Mexico is the contamination of the Gulf of Mexico. This area of ​​the Atlantic Ocean has suffered from high levels of contamination from oil and gas activities and agrochemical spills for more than 50 years.

The main cause of this ecological disaster is not in Mexico, but in the agrochemicals that the Mississippi River that runs through the United States carries into the Gulf. These agrochemicals provide nitrates and phosphates that cause the proliferation of algae that consume dissolved oxygen (eutrophication).

12- Transportation and land transit

Land traffic in Mexico. Source: UpstateNYer With more than 11 million vehicles, the Valley of Mexico is one of the most congested areas on the planet due to land traffic. The TomTom Traffic Index report (2016) indicates that in Mexico City, 59 min / person / day are used more than necessary in transfers.

These delays due to traffic congestion represent losses of 94 billion pesos / year, when considering the 32 cities analyzed by the study. On the other hand, this huge concentration of motor vehicles produces large amounts of polluting emissions.

13- Urban planning

Mexico faces environmental problems related to the urban planning of its main cities, especially Mexico City. These problems are associated with unplanned growth and generate mobility problems, management of drinking water and sewage, and waste management, among others.

The House

According to the Agrarian, Territorial and Urban Development Secretariat (SEDATU), 30% of homes in Mexico do not respond to an adequate urban rationality. At the same time, it is estimated that in Mexico there is a deficit of 9 million homes.

14- Overfishing and destruction of mangroves

Mexico is in position number 16 among the fishing countries, with a production of 1.7 million tons per year. It is estimated that for every 10 kg of fish obtained legally, another 6 kg are caught illegally.

Overfishing, mainly due to this illegal fishing, is an important environmental problem in Mexico. Species such as snook, red snapper and totoaba, among others, are particularly affected.

Of the species that are caught in the country, it is estimated that 70% are at their peak of exploitation and 30% are already being overexploited. It is estimated that if current overfishing trends continue, the number of fish species will be reduced by 385 in 20 years.

The totoaba (

There are special cases such as totopaba, endemic to the Gulf of California, caught illegally to satisfy the demand of Asian markets. This demand is due to the fact that the bladder of this fish is highly appreciated as food and medicine and its overexploitation has placed it under the category of Danger of extinction.

15- Climate change

Global warming is a problem that affects the entire planet, so Mexico does not escape its consequences. It ranks 14th among the countries that contribute the most greenhouse gases and in 2015 it emitted nearly 683 million equivalent tons of carbon dioxide.

Evaporation

Mexico is listed as particularly vulnerable to the effects of global warming due to its largely arid condition. Increased evaporation of water due to increased temperatures in a mostly arid territory represents a serious problem.

High mountain glaciers

The glaciers in the high mountains of Mexico have been retreating due to the increase in global temperatures. In fact, the glacial ice on Mount Popocatépetl has already disappeared, while on Iztaccíhuatl and Pico de Orizaba it is in clear retreat.

16- Hydraulic fracturing or fracking

Fracking is the procedure of breaking up subsurface rock through chemical and hydraulic action to extract oil from shale rocks. This process is harmful to the environment because many chemical pollutants are used, there is a physical impact on the subsoil and there is consumption of a large amount of water that is later contaminated.

In Mexico, the practice of hydraulic fracturing in its oil industry is recent, already developing in areas such as Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas. These regions face a high water deficit and fracking activity threatens to further exacerbate this problem.

In the country there are more than 8 thousand oil wells where the fracking technique is used and there is a strong movement in favor of banning this technique throughout its territory.

17- Overpopulation

Overpopulation in Mexico (Puebla City). Source: Ger1010 One of the main environmental problems in Mexico is its overpopulation, since 128 million people live there. This population is distributed in a territory of just 1,973,000 km², which determines a population density of 65 inhabitants / km². This situation is aggravated by an unbalanced population pattern, where more than 20 million people live in the capital, Mexico City alone.

This implies enormous pressure on the demand for natural resources, especially water, as well as a considerable production of polluting waste.

References

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