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Mexico City's Floating Garden Faces Risk of Abandonment Due to Lack of Maintenance
🇲🇽 Mexico /Environment & Climate

Mexico City's Floating Garden Faces Risk of Abandonment Due to Lack of Maintenance

From El Universal · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Experts warn that Mexico City's "Floating Garden" on Calzada de Tlalpan risks abandonment after the World Cup if maintenance policies are not sustained.
  • Specialists from the Autonomous University of Chapingo state that Mexico lacks adequate regulations and technology for urban landscaping irrigation.
  • They emphasize the need for water, fertilizers, and consistent maintenance, noting that even a small area can cost up to 40,000 pesos to irrigate.

Mexico City's "Floating Garden" on Calzada de Tlalpan faces a significant risk of falling into disrepair and abandonment once the World Cup concludes, according to specialists from the Autonomous University of Chapingo. They warn that without a public maintenance policy that transcends government changes, the ambitious project could be left to decay.

Mexico is still in its infancy regarding irrigation for urban landscaping.

— Specialists from the Autonomous University of ChapingoDescribing the current state of urban landscaping irrigation in Mexico.

Irrigation specialists Florencio Camargo Pacheco and Griselda Sánchez Bravo highlighted that urban landscaping systems demand substantial investment and adherence to specific regulations, which are currently lacking in Mexico. "It's not just about watering, but knowing how to water and ensuring the quality of the vital liquid, which must include nutrients for grass or plants, without forgetting to guarantee 'efficient water use,'" they stated.

The experts pointed out that while Mexico City's current urban landscape might score an 8 out of 10, this rating will plummet to a 5 if the garden is not properly maintained. They recalled that the city experiences two distinct seasons: a rainy period that naturally sustains green areas, and a dry season that presents a challenge due to severe lack of maintenance, leading to the loss of vegetation and plant death from drought.

It's not just about watering, but knowing how to water and ensuring the quality of the vital liquid, which must include nutrients for grass or plants, without forgetting to guarantee 'efficient water use.'

— Florencio Camargo Pacheco and Griselda Sánchez BravoExplaining the complexities of proper urban landscaping irrigation.

"Mexico is still in its infancy regarding irrigation for urban landscaping," the specialists asserted, emphasizing the need for norms, regulations, and the adoption of technology for sustainable irrigation. They cited Paseo de la Reforma as an example of deficient practices, where treated water is used without a real strategy, resulting in a temporarily maintained urban landscape. The basic elements for urban landscape survival, water, fertilizers, and maintenance, are costly. A 50-square-meter space can cost between 35,000 and 40,000 pesos to irrigate, underscoring the necessity for a well-defined public policy and government commitment.

The country is burning and the old woman is combing her hair.

— Specialists from the Autonomous University of ChapingoUsing a Romanian idiom to describe the situation where politicians focus on trivial matters while critical infrastructure is neglected.
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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