The Dutch Embassy in Mexico is currently commissioning a study to explore opportunities for Dutch water companies in the Mexican agricultural sector. The results are expected to be published soon.
Similar studies supported by the Netherlands have previously been conducted in Morocco and Indonesia, among other countries.
The last major drought in Mexico occurred in 2011. At that time, the drought in the state of Chihuahua even led to famine. Water reservoirs across the country have been at historically low levels for weeks. Dozens of large water reservoirs in the northern and central parts of the country have reached critical levels of less than 25% capacity.
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In some cities, water supply has already been cut back, according to the agricultural department of the Dutch embassy in Mexico City.
Agricultural production in some parts of the country is also at risk, such as corn production in the northern state of Sinaloa. And in the northern state of Coahuila, the drought is causing livestock deaths, according to the Spanish newspaper El Pais.
The direct cause is the lack of rainfall. In the past six months, rainfall was 20% below normal. The previous rainy season also saw less precipitation than usual, partly due to the weather phenomenon "La Niña." Every three to seven years, La Niña causes colder ocean currents in the Pacific Ocean and less cloud formation over Mexico and the southern United States.
The current drought is caused not only by La Niña but also by human activities. The global rise in temperature, urban growth, and expansion of agricultural land are detrimental to ecosystems, especially forests and water bodies.
In addition, experts in Mexico cite a lack of effective water management and research into developing new water technologies.