Read a summary of this teleconference here.

The fifth installment of our 2018 Summer Teleconference Series, on Mexico City's mounting water scarcity crisis.

Cities from Cape Town to Rome and Los Angeles to Karachi are struggling to get water to their residents as droughts worsen, infrastructure ages, and governments grapple with coordinating policies and projects to alleviate water stress. Los Angeles' sister city and neighbor to the south, Mexico City, knows this all too well: one in five residents gets just a few hours from their taps each week, and several communities rely on costly water deliveries by truck for the majority of their drinking water. This vibrant capital is running out of water for the millions of people who live there, and is challenged with sustaining the city as it struggles with climate change, a growing population, and infrastructure stress as the ground beneath the city sinks.

What are the issues contributing to Mexico City’s water insecurity? How close is the city to a "Day Zero" without clean drinking water? What policies and programs are underway to address these issues?

Listen to the full conversation below:

Featuring:

Mr. Colin Herron, Freshwater Program Director, Mexico and the North of Central America, The Nature Conservancy

Colin Herron is the Freshwater Program Director for Mexico and the North of Central America (MNCA) at The Nature Conservancy (TNC), overseeing the organization’s freshwater activities in three areas: Water Funds, corporate water stewardship and fostering public policies that facilitate large-scale conservation work. Read more.

Ms. Ana Gabriela Morales, Manager of Water Management and Urban Resilience, World Resources Institute México

Ana Gabriela Morales coordinates the local economic development and natural resource management agendas in Mexican cities. Her work focuses on the coordination and development of projects associated to water management, financial mechanisms for nature-based solutions and green infrastructure in cities, and local economic development planning. Read more.

Moderator:

Ms. Laura Gonzalez, Director, Water Program, Gonzalo Rio Arronte Foundation

Laura Gonzalez is the director of the Gonzalo Rio Arronte Foundation and will serve as both a speaker and moderator of this teleconference. Read more.