Earth Changes TV - Record Drought Is Killing Northern Mexico

Record Drought Is Killing Northern Mexico...06/16/99
By Gerlind Younts (NBC)

MEXICO CITY, "It may be the worst drought in Mexico's history, drying up all the water sources in the country's northern states: Reservoirs, rivers and waterfalls are disappearing "; and cattle are dropping dead by the thousands as agricultural fields lie barren likes deserts. The lack of rain is a big factor, but environmentalists say deforestation and poor water management policies are factors as well.

IT'S THE SECOND consecutive dry year in Mexico's north, and for some of the states it's the fifth straight drought. Mexican officials say that the drought now covers one-third of the country, more than any previous drought on record.

All along the Mexico-Texas border, farmers are selling their cattle for practically nothing in order to feed and save the rest of their herds. They have even resorted to watering their crops with raw sewage for lack of anything else.

The Ministry of Agriculture says it has already allocated more than $135 million for the most affected areas to ease the crisis. But the water levels in 20 large dams and reservoirs in five of the 10 hardest-hit states are so low that they are down to 13 percent of capacity. The Rio Grande is so dry this year that people can walk across it from Ciudad Juarez to El Paso.