Mexico City losing its 'lungs' as uncontrolled urban growth accelerates, researchers warn
Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
TLDR
- Mexico City is losing significant forest, wetland, and natural areas due to uncontrolled urban growth.
- Researchers warn of environmental deterioration, including loss of biodiversity and altered water cycles.
- Urgent measures are needed to address irregular urbanization and unsustainable agricultural practices.
Mexico City is facing a critical environmental crisis as its vital green lungs—forests, wetlands, and natural zones—are rapidly diminishing due to unchecked urban expansion. Researchers from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) have issued a stark warning about the escalating deterioration of the capital's environment, attributing the loss to uncontrolled urban growth, illegal road construction, and the encroachment of human settlements into protected areas.
The study, "Analysis of the impact of Mexico City's conservation land due to land-use changes 2025," reveals a disturbing trend between 2015 and 2023, marked by a significant decrease in water infiltration and increased surface runoff in key boroughs like Tlalpan, Milpa Alta, Xochimilco, Tláhuac, Magdalena Contreras, Cuajimalpa, Álvaro Obregón, and Iztapalapa. The consequences are far-reaching, including loss of biodiversity, reduced carbon storage, disrupted water cycles, and the proliferation of invasive species.
La tendencia va a seguir si no se actúa
UNAM's Geography Institute director, María Teresa Sánchez Salazar, highlighted that the situation reflects the "disordered and explosive" growth of the metropolitan area, urging for a new territorial planning framework based on updated data. This call comes amid an ongoing water scarcity crisis and extreme temperatures plaguing the capital, underscoring the urgent need for decisive action to protect the remaining natural areas and ensure the city's long-term sustainability. The current trajectory, without immediate intervention, threatens to exacerbate the environmental challenges facing one of the world's largest megacities.
La situación refleja el crecimiento “desordenado y explosivo” de la zona metropolitana más grande del país y urgió a construir un nuevo ordenamiento territorial con datos actualizados.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by El Universal in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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