Mexico: Viva el agua!

The Latin American country is facing more droughts, heavy rainfall and rising temperatures. As a result, water is becoming increasingly scarce. By 2050, the groundwater level is expected to drop significantly in two-thirds of Mexico’s states. Agriculture is the largest consumer, accounting for 76 per cent of water use.

‘Preventing water risks from the outset is more cost-effective than dealing with the consequences later,’ says María Ana Rodríguez, GIZ project manager. That is also why the breweries Anheuser-Busch InBev and The Coca-Cola Company are investing in the project. You cannot produce beverages without water, so managing this resource sustainably strengthens production as well as the social acceptability of manufacturers.

In Mexico City, Hidalgo, Zacatecas, Apan and Calera, GIZ has brought together industrial, agricultural and municipal stakeholders to address this issue. Together, they are tackling the looming water shortage. Farmers have changed their irrigation practices and are using biodiversity-friendly farming methods. For example, instead of watering plants with full hoses, drip irrigation now supplies water directly to the root zone – with the right amount, at the right time. ‘This results in higher yields, better quality, and saves water and energy,’ explains María Ana Rodríguez. Farmers also use far fewer machines and apply mulch to the soil. This practice of covering soil with organic crop residues or plant roots prevents water from evaporating. A combination of different plant types also helps conserve soil. Farmers are already preventing harmful siltation and erosion of their fields across 14,000 hectares, and in the state of Zacatecas, 240 farmers have reduced their annual water consumption by 20 per cent. 

Implementing measures to ensure that more water can seep into the soil is another key component in the development partnership with Anheuser-Busch InBev and The Coca-Cola Company. For example, unused land is being reforested, and stone baskets – known as gabions – are being installed along the edges of mountains. This prevents erosion and allows water flowing down from the mountains to seep into the soil more effectively. This alone has already regenerated 3,000 hectares of soil.

Since 2021, agricultural and soil regeneration measures have helped to ensure that nearly 14 million cubic meters more water seeped into the groundwater. Water monitoring systems accurately measure and record the effects – the data, in turn, serves as the basis for the Mexican Government’s water supply planning: ‘We work closely with the responsible public authorities to ensure that these measures can contribute to water security in the long term,’ says María Ana Rodríguez.

The model has already been expanded to other rural areas south of Mexico City. There, too, more land is to be regenerated to combat climate change and secure water resources – for the benefit of the people and economic development.