The Chalco floods, which took place at the beginning of February, demonstrate that Mexico is not adequately prepared to deal with such emergencies. A new book by FAN MEX member Helen Burns Rethinking the watershed – water cycle management in the Valley of Mexico presents an alternative proposal to save the sinking city
More than 300 years ago, water flowed from Chalco Lake, one of five lakes in the Basin of Mexico. The lake’s freshwater contributed to flourishing culture in the highlands. Today, huge housing colonies lie in the dried out area and, every year, wastewater flooding damages the heritage and history of its inhabitants.
On 5 February 2010, Chalco once again suffered terrible floods because of a 60-meter crack in a sewage canal – affecting homes, streets and businesses. For four days it rained heavily causing the overflow and in the days following the disaster the water level continued to climb and reached 1.70 meters in some parts.
More and more families are becoming affected and losing their legal documents, photographs, appliances and their rich heritage. The well that supplies the area was also flooded with sewage. The Remedios river in Ecatepec and Nezahualcoyotl also developed a crack through which sewage started leaking but thankfully it was quickly contained.
The effects of the floods show us that we are not adequately prepared to deal with these contingencies nor are we preventing them from happening again. The canal has been putting the local population at risk since 2009 when the cracks first started appearing.
Rethinking the Watershed
In Rethinking the watershed a group of scholars from the Metropolitan Autonomous University (UAM) and Guardianes de los Volcanes A.C, member of FAN Mex, present ways to reduce risk without the need for multi-million investments in heavy infrastructure that makes our city sink even more to the local water authorities.
Rethinking the watershed – water cycle management in the Valley of Mexico
The book presents 10 key points for achieving sustainable water management in the Basin of Mexico. Make sure you know them!
- Harness rain and wastewater in the basin and stop sewage flow towards the Tula basin
- Generate cycles of treatment and reuse of wastewater to face shortages
- Harness the great potential of rainwater
- Use recharge areas surrounding the metropolitan area to increase the availability of groundwater
- Suggest legislative proposals to ensure federal protection of areas vital to the hydrological system of the basin
- Enforce the 1954 government ban on excessive pumping and ensure any over extraction is replaced with alternative sources
- Link urban areas with potential recharge areas
- Create a package of works to reduce dependence on unsustainable sources and a cost-benefit analysis of possible options
- Strengthen the financing of water management system
- Coordinate mechanisms that are at the emerging, sub level, metropolitan and basin.
The book was edited by the Autonomous Metropolitan University and coordinated by Helen Burns, who works for FAN member Guardians of the Volcanoes AC.
Download Rethinking the watershed – water cycle management in the Valley of Mexico