Drought conditions affect 46% of Mexico, marking improvement from 2024

Almost fractional of Mexico — 596 municipalities — was experiencing immoderate level of drought by the extremity of April, the National Water Commission (Conagua) reported successful its fortnightly Drought Monitor connected Sunday.

Conagua bases its appraisal connected the planetary five-category system, which ranges from abnormally adust oregon D0 (a precursor to drought, not really drought), to mean (D1), terrible (D2), utmost (D3) and exceptional (D4) drought. 

Changing atmospheric conditions person eased the drought somewhat connected the Baja California Peninsula, but the full authorities of Chihuahua has been particularly hard-hit by the extended adust season. (Cuartoscuro)

At the extremity of April, 46.5% of Mexico fell into the D1 to D4 categories, portion 34.1% of the state was unaffected. This marks a emergence from January, erstwhile these figures stood astatine 40% and 50.2%, respectively.

During the 2nd fractional of April, above-average rainfall successful parts of the Baja California Peninsula and the northeast, halfway and southbound of the country, combined with the introduction of moisture from the Pacific Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea to somewhat easiness the drought conditions successful the Baja California Peninsula and cardinal Coahuila.

In May 2024, drought affected 70.76% of Mexico’s territory, with 51% experiencing severe, utmost oregon exceptional drought. While that percent was higher than the existent condition,  much weeks with small to nary rainfall could propulsion the fig up rbefore the extremity of the adust season.

Chihuahua gripped by utmost drought

Chihuahua, connected the U.S. border, was the lone authorities successful Mexico to acquisition utmost and exceptional drought crossed its full territory, according to Conagua. A full of 64% of the authorities fell into the utmost drought class and 36% was experiencing exceptional drought.

A full of 67 municipalities successful Chihuahua were affected, with 25 experiencing utmost drought and 42 exceptional drought.  

The prolonged drought play has had terrible repercussions connected cultivation enactment and the availability of drinking water. 

Heat-related deaths increasing

Since 2014, the cumulative fig of deaths caused by utmost temperatures is 1,052, according to the Health Ministry, with 79% of cases occurring since 2021, erstwhile h2o shortages began to worsen nationwide. 

In January, Conagua predicted that Mexico’s 2025 dry play could past astir six months, from precocious November 2024 to May 2025, hitting particularly hard those states that had not afloat recovered from the 2024 drought conditions. 

In effect to ongoing drought and h2o scarcity, President Claudia Sheinbaum introduced Mexico’s National Water Plan (PNH) 2024–2030 successful November and earmarked 20 cardinal pesos (US $979 million) for h2o projects crossed the state successful 2025. 

With reports from NMás, El Economista and Forbes México