Water, a ticking time bomb for Mexico

"The Trump administration is pressuring Mexico with more tariffs to force its southern neighbor to settle its water debt of nearly one billion cubic meters, of which Mexico has committed to delivering 249 million before the end of January. Meanwhile, the high demand for water from the agricultural sector is forcing President Claudia Sheinbaum to perform a balancing act to avoid jeopardizing access to water for irrigation systems in the north of the country."

"The dams stipulated in the 1944 bilateral agreement, La Amistad and La Falcon, are currently at 24.1% and 11.5% capacity, respectively. They receive water from the six rivers that supply the water deliveries across the border 2.158 billion cubic meters every five years. The Conchos River typically absorbs the majority of this water, but the prolonged drought has rendered it insufficient to meet Mexico's obligations."

Mexico must deliver nearly one billion cubic meters of water under obligations, and has committed to delivering 249 million cubic meters before the end of January. The United States is pressuring Mexico with tariffs to enforce payment of the water debt. Severe drought has left key international reservoirs, La Amistad and La Falcon, at roughly 24.1% and 11.5% capacity. The Conchos River no longer provides sufficient flow, so officials are tapping wetter basins in the Lower Bravo region and the Marte R. Gomez Dam as temporary sources outside the 1944 treaty. Reliance on temporary sources alleviates the emergency but risks domestic irrigation needs and creates difficult trade-offs starting February 1.

Read at english.elpais.com