Almost half of Mexico — 596 municipalities — was experiencing some level of drought by the end of April, the National Water Commission (Conagua) reported in its fortnightly Drought Monitor on Sunday.
Conagua bases its assessment on the international five-category system, which ranges from abnormally dry or D0 (a precursor to drought, not actually drought), to moderate (D1), severe (D2), extreme (D3) and exceptional (D4) drought.
At the end of April, 46.5% of Mexico fell into the D1 to D4 categories, while 34.1% of the country was unaffected. This marks a rise from January, when these figures stood at 40% and 50.2%, respectively.
During the second half of April, above-average rainfall in parts of the Baja California Peninsula and the northeast, center and south of the country, combined with the entry of moisture from the Pacific Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea to slightly ease the drought conditions in the Baja California Peninsula and central Coahuila.
In May 2024, drought affected 70.76% of Mexico’s territory, with 51% experiencing severe, extreme or exceptional drought. While that percentage was higher than the current condition, more weeks with little to no rain could push the figure up rbefore the end of the dry season.
Chihuahua gripped by extreme drought
Chihuahua, on the U.S. border, was the only state in Mexico to experience extreme and exceptional drought across its entire territory, according to Conagua. A total of 64% of the state fell into the extreme drought category and 36% was experiencing exceptional drought.
A total of 67 municipalities in Chihuahua were affected, with 25 experiencing extreme drought and 42 exceptional drought.
The prolonged drought period has had severe repercussions on agricultural activity and the availability of drinking water.
Heat-related deaths increasing
Since 2014, the cumulative number of deaths caused by extreme temperatures is 1,052, according to the Health Ministry, with 79% of cases occurring since 2021, when water shortages began to worsen nationwide.
In January, Conagua predicted that Mexico’s 2025 dry season could last around six months, from late November 2024 to May 2025, hitting especially hard those states that had not fully recovered from the 2024 drought conditions.
In response to ongoing drought and water scarcity, President Claudia Sheinbaum introduced Mexico’s National Water Plan (PNH) 2024–2030 in November and earmarked 20 billion pesos (US $979 million) for water projects across the country in 2025.
With reports from NMás, El Economista and Forbes México
