Mexico
Climate change impacts
It takes only 99 days for the average Canadian to produce as much greenhouse gases as the average Mexican will produce over the course of the entire year. Therefore, April 9th (99 days into the year) is "Climate Change Impacts in Mexico Day."
Water is a major concern for Mexico. Farmers and residents face threats of increased periods of drought, reduced soil moisture, reduced rainfall and changes in distribution of rainfall. Glacial recessions has already reduced runoff from some mountains that replenishes major aquifers in Mexico City.
Changes in climate combined with certain land use practices could result in vegetation changes as drastic as the replacement of tropical forests with grasslands. With threats to the stability of existing ecosystems, species extinctions are likely.
The effects of climate change on extreme weather events could be problematic for Mexico, which is already susceptible to damage and disaster from El Nino and La Nina related phenomena.
Source: Mexico's Third National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Story
"Octavio Mancilla’s grandfather once trudged across glaciers and snow on the Iztaccihuatl volcano. Walking in his footsteps some 40 years later, Octavio says that little of this remains, with the area covered by snow gradually decreasing. Down in the valley, rivers are almost dry."
"My first observation is that the time during which the mountains are covered by snow is getting shorter and shorter, and is now reduced to almost only one month per year."
To continue reading Octavio's story, visit WWF's Climate Witness page.
Photo credit: Octavio Mancilla
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