Written by Tom Greiner.

Water is a necessity to everyday life. Many people use water without even thinking about it. Some developing countries such as Mexico however, do not have an abundance of water that is sustainable for use. Rural Mexico is no exception with only 51 percent of the rural population having access to drinking water and 21 percent having access to sewerage systems (Tortajada 1998). Mexico has a continually increasing population with an imbalance between water demand and availability due to poor geographical and temporal distribution of water resources. Contamination of available fresh water resources affects both vulnerable ecosystems and human health. Water related diseases are among the most common causes of illness and death around the world (Eriksson and Raben 2004).

The problem of clean drinking water is an important topic throughout all of Mexico. The problem is most evident in rural areas of Mexico where clean drinking water is rare, but necessary. Diseases from contaminated water are common due to lack of water sanitation. Water contamination has very severe public health impacts, especially among children (Tortajada 1998). The water used in Mexico is purified by reverse osmosis, however approximately 93 percent of wastewater in Mexico does not receive treatment (FEN 2009).

Overexploitation of water due to agriculture and demands from urban cities have been major contributors to the water crisis in rural Mexico (Asad and Dinar 2006). In addition, disadvantages in technology and poor management contribute to the lack of available resources of clean water (Scott and Banister 2007). Before the introduction of water treatment technology, the consideration of the socio-cultural aspects and socio-economic factors of the community must be investigated or the solution is unlikely to be successful. Affordability, cost, and willingness to pay for water treatment technologies are also important considerations as well (Eriksson and Raben 2004). Improving management and productivity, coupled with additional water resources are necessary to improve such a crisis (Barker et. al. 2000; Eriksson and Raben 2004).




Want to Learn More?

Barker R, Scott C, De Fraiture C, Amarasinghe U. 2000. Global water shortages and the challenges facing Mexico. International Journal of Water Resources Development 16: 525-542.

Eriksson J, and Raben L. 2004. Drinking water in Pahuatlan, Mexico: a social study, a water quality invesitgation, and a technical solution. Ph.D. Thesis. Lulea University of Technology, Lulea Sweden.

FEN. 2009. Danfoss helps clean up drinking water in Mexico. 5 May 2009.

Scott CA, and Banister JM. 2007. The dilemma of water management "regionalization" in Mexico under centralized resource allocation. Department of Geography and Regional Development.

Tortajada, C. 1998. Water supply and wastewater management in Mexico: an analysis of the environmental policies. International Journal of Water Resources Development 14:327-337.

Terrestrial Ecoregions of the World

Freshwater Ecoregions of the World

Marine Ecoregions of the World







This page was created from an environmental education writing project generated in the Fall 2009 Bio245 Conservation Biology class. Content does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Gustavus Adolphus College.

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