By Miguel Sanchez Enkerlin
As the 20th century progressed, the capital of the United States of Mexico, Mexico City, grew rapidly. Possibly due to government corruption, and neglect for the people, the city becameuncontrollably large and famous for its air pollution problems. Naturally, other problems arose; skyrocketing crime, rampant poverty, and a constant struggle to provide the enormous and mostly impoverished population with appropriate infrastructure.
By the 1990’s, about half the population (40 million) of Mexico fell below the poverty line, and about 15 million citizens in extreme poverty. The extreme poverty was concentrated around the urban centers, logically, the majority, around Mexico City, by far the countries largest city. By then, the population had reached over 18 million, and by the 2000s, the dire situation for the poor (a majority) had only worsened. The City itself is continuously causing problems for itself. Aside from its shocking pollution levels and traffic, the city takes in too much water; subsequently it has raped its own (previously rich) supply of subterranean water, and began to take water from neighboring states. Part of the problem is that the city consumes about 1.5 times the water per person per day that other cities in Mexico take in (300L to 200L), a problem which is due to how cheap the local government makes the water, yet it’s not drinkable, making Mexico the second largest consumer of bottled water, producing even more pollution. The water that is being taken has had far-reaching side effects on the nation as a whole. The city’s thirst has triggered droughts in Mexico’s countryside, causing cattle deaths (over 100,000), and crop losses, which are only expected to worsen with an estimated 20 million tones of crops at risk. Some believe the now scarce subterranean water supply of the city can be replenished slowly, by revitalizing the forests at the foot of the great mountain, or rather volcano, the Popocatepetl. Federally paid biologists now take care of the nation park between the volcano and the city that is rich in pine trees. They are hoping to restore the “water factory”, a naturally occurring retention of water by the ecosystem, which replenishes its water supply. The pine trees collect/retain rainwater, which then goes to the underground wells. Currently there are not enough trees and cattle in the park are consuming part of the water. The program works at maintaining and replanting trees, and taking are of the excess cattle in that area. If successful, this government program could gradually restore the city’s natural supply.
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