Mexico Hit By Lowest Rainfall In 68 Years (really bad news)

http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/40367


Mexico is suffering from its driest year in 68 years, killing crops and cattle in the countryside and forcing the government to slow the flow of water to the crowded capital.

Below-average rainfall since last year has left about 80 of Mexico's 175 largest reservoirs less than half full, said Felipe Arreguin, a senior official at the Conagua commission, which manages the country's water supply.

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More than 1,000 cattle have been lost due to lack of rainfall, and up to 20 million tons of crops managed by 3.5 million small farmers are at risk of being lost, agriculture groups say.

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In Mexican states like San Luis, Aguascalientes and Colima, some farmers have been unable to successfully plant their crops because of a lack of rain, while others watched their corn and beans plants wilt. Authorities are handing out cash to small farmers in hard-hit areas.

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In neighboring Guatemala, the government is distributing emergency food to 56,000 families whose crops have been damaged.
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:sarcasm:

My in-Laws live there, and two days a week there is no water. Many people keep their own water cisterns that they fill regularly, but if people don't have that, they are SIL.

Mexico City is not likley to develop any new water sources due to geography.

Things don't change, we could see a ecological and social collapse of the country.

...as will dozens of other scenarios playing out now...

The UN has just released another staggering report on the Environmental Food Crisis
http://www.grida.no/publications/rr/food-crisis/

Take heed. Take action. Save seeds and plant, plant, plant.

Well, you CAN, of course, but you would be less than wise...

Lake at 2nd lowest level ever.

it occurs to me that what mexico is doing for small farmers surpasses what our government would do in the same circumstances for american small farmers.
here this would be used as an opportunity to dispossess small farmers in favor of agri-business.
americans need to stop being so arrogant about our own lifestyles and pay more attention to how others treat each other. we have much to learn.