ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT IN MEXICO OF POLLUTION - ENVIRONMENT - 2025

The environmental impact of pollution in Mexico is a problem that arose in the post-war period, accelerated with industrialization and became especially worrisome, both in national and international terms, from the seventies of the 20th century.

Since then, the problem of pollution in Mexico has only increased. However, to date and despite the efforts made by Mexican organizations and supranational entities, no definitive solution has been found.

Mexico City is currently the place that suffers the greatest environmental impact within the country. However, it is estimated that cities such as Monterrey, Salamanca or Guadalajara will soon register the levels of pollution that currently exist in Mexico City.

The consequences of this environmental impact are being dire for the Mexican population. It is estimated that approximately fourteen thousand people die annually due to high levels of pollution. Some of the areas most affected by this situation are described below.

Areas affected by the environmental impact in Mexico by pollution

Damage to health

The air in many cities in Mexico - especially in the most populated cities such as Mexico City, Monterrey, Toluca, Ciudad Juárez, Guadalajara, Puebla and Salamanca - has become unbreathable.

The high concentration of pollutants (sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide or particulate matter) in the air is linked to the proliferation of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, as well as premature deaths.

In 2011, of the 365 days of the year Mexico City only registered 124 days where the air quality was good. The activation of environmental pre-contingency phases are increasingly frequent. In 2014 it was activated for three days, in 2015 the figure rose to six.

The sources of this pollution are diverse: the transportation system, the excessive number of vehicles, industry and business activities.

Water shortage and pollution in the country

The scarcity and contamination of water is a reality that affects the entire country, but especially the north. Pollution by arsenic, fluorine, and hydrocarbons in areas with oil fields is associated with a greater presence of cancer cases.

On the other hand, the strong demographic pressure in the country, as well as the urbanization models applied, the deforestation processes and the impact of the floods, forces many populations to store water, since the supply is irregular.

This water management is associated with the proliferation of diseases, such as acute diarrhea that is fatal in the most marginal municipalities.

Mexico has 653 aquifers, of these only 288 can be used. This causes that 33% of the exploited basins suffer a strong hydric pressure.

Lack of sewage sanitation contributes to worsening the scenario. In Mexico, only 33% of municipal wastewater and 15% of industrial and agricultural water are treated. Most of this wastewater is discharged into rivers and aquifer resources that supply the population.

Disappearance of forested areas

Mexico ranks fifth in the world in deforestation, its forests are disappearing by leaps and bounds. If this continues, before the end of the 21st century the forested areas will have completely disappeared.

The reduction of forest areas is directly related to the reduction of the biodiversity that lives around them. These ecosystems are those that:

- They guarantee the water supply. Two thirds of the water consumed in Mexico is collected in forests, reducing these will aggravate the situation of water scarcity in the country.

- They protect from climate change, since they absorb carbon dioxide. Its reduction contributes to worsening air quality and the proliferation of diseases.

Mangrove disappearance

Mangroves in Mexico disappear at the rate of six soccer fields a day. This ecosystem is vital for the protection of the coastline and coastal populations.

Among other reasons, its importance lies in the fact that it buffers the impact of tsunamis and hurricanes, so frequent in Mexico. In addition, they help prevent the erosion of the coast and areas where many species live.

Threat to fauna

Mexico is the fifth country in the world by species in extinction and the first in Latin America, if we look at threatened species. In total, 510 species in the country are in danger of extinction or are threatened.

This impact of pollution on fauna affects all species. Of the total mammalian species that inhabit Mexico, 89% are threatened. Of these, 28% are endemic, and of the 2,692 species of fish that swim in its waters, 5% are in danger of extinction.

The future for them does not look bright. The disappearance and contamination of mangroves and coastal areas threatens to worsen the situation for both marine species and mammals, many of which live in this habitat.

Migration movements

The geographical location of Mexico, its climatic characteristics and the high volcanic and seismic activity that it registers cause natural phenomena in the country with negative consequences for the population, as well as for the infrastructure and economy of the affected areas.

Meteorological phenomena (cyclones, floods, droughts, tornadoes, etc.), geological (seismic movements and volcanic eruptions) and health (red tide), together with those caused by human activity (fires, chemical spills, etc.) have annually consequences for people.

In 2009 100 people lost their lives as a result of these phenomena and 550 thousand were injured, evacuated or damaged.

This situation generates constant environmental migratory movements in the country. The quantification of this phenomenon is complex, but a study by the US Commission on Immigration pointed out that a part of the 900,000 people who leave the arid zones of the country every year do so due to the desertification that affects their farmlands.

References

1. The destruction of Mexico. The country's environmental reality and climate change. (2009). Consulted from greenpeace.org
2. Riojas-Rodríguez, H., Schilmann, A., López-Carrillo, L., & Finkelman, J. (2013). Environmental health in Mexico: current situation and future perspectives. Consulted from scielo.org
3. Environmental impact of the industry in Mexico: advances, alternatives and immediate actions. Consulted from mundohvacr.com
4. Arriaga, R. The evaluation of the environmental impact in Mexico. Current situation and future perspectives. Consulted from ifc.org
5. Beauregard, L. (2016). Mexico City is drowning. The country. Consulted from elpais.com