The meteorological phenomenon La Niña is severely impacting Mexico, especially in the northwest of the country. Nallely Lutz Ley, a professor and researcher at the College of Sonora, warns that La Niña, exacerbated by climate change, is causing an increase in temperatures, a decrease in rainfall, and greater unpredictability in climatic events.
According to the World Meteorological Organization and the International Research Institute for Climate and Society, La Niña originated in January in the tropical Pacific Ocean and has maintained its effects until April. Despite this situation, Lutz Ley points out that no adaptation or mitigation measures are being taken by the Mexican government, producers, and society in general.
In the agricultural sector, the drought caused by La Niña is severely affecting key sectors of the Mexican economy. In the northwest of the country, drought levels ranging from severe to exceptional have been recorded, affecting states such as Baja California, Baja California Sur, Chihuahua, Sinaloa, and Sonora, the latter recognized as the "breadbasket of Mexico."
Humberto Borbón Valencia, director of the Río Yaqui Irrigation District, laments that in the agricultural valleys of Sonora, 234 thousand hectares of crops have not been planted due to the lack of rainfall. This has led to a significant reduction in the livestock herd in Sonora, forcing ranchers to sell part of their cattle due to the scarcity of grass and water.
The situation is compounded by the water crisis in the Mexican capital, where the arrival of “day zero” is predicted, when water cannot be guaranteed for human consumption. According to Conagua, more than 45% of the national territory is facing some degree of drought, which will be exacerbated by the presence of La Niña, generating extraordinary rainfall in southern Mexico. Experts warn that climate change is significantly altering the natural patterns of the land, which will require urgent adaptation and mitigation measures from authorities and society as a whole.
