Water resources in Mexico are rapidly declining as the country is ravaged by drought and forest fires, which have already destroyed tens of thousands of acres of land.
None of the 210 water reservoirs is complete, and 19 of them currently hold less than half of what they usually contain, water boards, announced Tuesday.
A reservoir that supplies a quarter of the water in Mexico City is only 42 percent full, which is 23 percent below the historical average. Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said it was the worst drought in thirty years.
According to forest authorities, 78 fires are currently raging in the country, spread over 41,000 hectares. More than 3,600 rescuers have been deployed to fight the fire.
The drought affects 85 percent of Mexico, and other parts of Central America are also affected. Drought is one reason tens of thousands of people try to leave the region and migrate to the United States every month.
Mexico is in the dry season, which lasts from approximately November to mid-May, the Pacific hurricane season. But even for the dry season, there has been little rain; since the beginning of this year, about a third less rain has come down than average.
The rainy season is not expected to start until June. In parts of the country, such as the southern states of Guerrero and Michoacán de Ocampo, record high temperatures have recently been recorded.