Mexico’s draught is so severe you can see the effects from space

The lagoon’s reduced capacity was deadly for thousands of fish.

Low water levels concentrated pollutants even more reducing water quality and further stressing the fish, Irma de la Pena, head of the Ecology Department in the city of Cuauhtemoc, told CNN in June.

Even the bees are perishing.

“There is almost no vegetation in the landscape right now, due to the drought,” beekeeper Adan Rascon Ramos told Reuters. That includes thirsty wildflowers, which haven’t bloomed.

As a result, bees searching for pollen have turned to what limited agricultural crops are left, and the herbicides are killing them in droves.

Different factors led to the latest drought. Last year, El Niño failed to bring its usual precipitation to the north, and a weak La Niña affected rain levels in the south and central regions. The first half of this year was also very dry, adding to the problem, according to NOAA.

Tropical storms in June brought some relief to the central and southwest regions but northwest Mexico is still in a drought.

Over half of Mexico’s reservoirs are at or below 50%, right now. “It takes a lot of additional precipitation to build that back up,” Vollmer said. “One good set of rain isn’t going to take places out of drought.”

Vollmer said drier conditions could become more permanent in some regions. Droughts are classified based on historical averages, he said, but “we’re moving into new conditions.” What was once a drought may now be the new normal.

There are some potential measures to help safeguard against future droughts. WWF has been working in Mexico to help communities create water reserves by implementing policies to keep river systems above a certain level. Originally it was an effort to ensure biodiversity, but “it’s increasingly recognized as kind of an insurance against these drought conditions,” Vollmer said.