Mexico Environment Profile 2012

The last several years has seen growing consciousness of the need to preserve the environment. A symbol of this trend was the creation of a Ministry of the Environment. Nevertheless, the situation with respect to environmental questions is very bad. Most rivers and water resources are contaminated, water is used in a very inefficient manner both for human consumption and irrigation (around 40% is wasted). In addition, water is hardly ever treated or recycled by the companies or city administrations that use it. Deforestation is almost rampant, and large parts of the country are rapidly becoming deserts. The present government implemented what was supposed to be a vast reforestation program, but this has recently been accused of being inefficient and corrupt.

The Fox administration launched a massive building project aimed at expanding urban areas, without consideration for the services and sustainability of these developments. Although the cars used in cities have become cleaner, there has been an immense expansion in the number of automobiles in most of the cities, making it impossible to fight effectively against pollution. In addition, public transport has lagged far behind. Nevertheless, the present administration of Mexico City is building one additional metro line, and at least two more bus corridors.

Mexico is also importing large numbers of used cars from the United States, which means that the problem of getting rid of the old tires, batteries and other hazardous materials is being transferred from a richer to a poorer country in a surreptitious manner. In order to develop the tourist sector the Ministry of the Environment has been allowing the construction of big hotels that are destroying the mangroves in protected areas such as south of the Mayan Riviera area, in Quintana Roo.