Floods in Mexico City: a cycle of growing negligence and corruption

In recent years, the rainy season has cast a veil of concern over the main urban centers of the country. Mexico City, in particular, has become an emblematic example of how a lack of planning and governmental neglect have led to the flooding of its streets. In this context, it is hard not to remember the words of Professor Carlos Hank, who described the capital as "the City with an Angel." However, the angel seems to have forgotten its inhabitants every time the rains fall, revealing the vulnerability of an urban system that has been negligently managed. The current rainy season has seen crews of workers battling against the rising floodwaters, a spectacle that repeats itself each year. The media reports on efforts to clean drains and ducts, but as the respected columnist Manuel Buendía pointed out decades ago, these tasks should have started much earlier, during the dry season. The governmental response of "it rained like never before" is not only an evasion of responsibility but also a sign of the lack of preparedness for a climatic phenomenon that has been known for a long time. With the advance of climate change, it was known that this year would see an increase in hurricane and storm activity. Despite these warnings, authorities did not implement effective measures to mitigate the impending disasters. For those of us living in the Mexico basin, each rainy season serves as a reminder that the mega-city we inhabit is situated over what was once a vast lake region, with a network of rivers and streams that have been virtually eliminated in an attempt to modernize the city. Recent history has shown that the solution is not to pipe rivers to create avenues that facilitate vehicular transport, but to understand that these bodies of water are vital for climate regulation and potable water supply. The sacrifice of these water resources has led to an unsustainable situation where rainwater is channeled into systems that cannot withstand its volume, resulting in recurrent floods that affect millions. Over the last few decades, the unchecked expansion of urban sprawl has devastated areas of natural reserve and allowed for uncontrolled growth in vulnerable regions. This phenomenon has been fueled by invaders who, taking advantage of the housing shortage, have occupied fragile lands. Chalco is a clear example of this; a place that has seen the proliferation of irregular settlements and which, as a result, faces severe flooding every year. The role of the real estate sector in this disaster cannot be ignored. With the complicity of corrupt or inept officials, housing developments and condominiums have been built in high-risk areas, often without basic services. The lack of adequate planning has led to gullies and streams being completely obstructed, turning into dumping grounds for debris and waste, while homes are constructed on land that should be protected. The Eastern Emission Tunnel (TEO), one of the most ambitious and costly projects undertaken to combat flooding, was fully inaugurated in December 2019. Despite its investment of 30 billion pesos and the promise that it would alleviate the flooding situation in several boroughs of Mexico City, the reality is that floods continue. The project, while necessary, has not been sufficient to contain the flow of water that occurs with each downpour. The TEO was designed to channel rainwater and improve wastewater treatment, but pollution remains a critical issue. The wastewater treatment plant in Atotonilco de Tula, where the TEO discharges, faces sanitation challenges, putting the health of nearby communities at risk. This raises an uncomfortable question: Are these grandiose projects truly serving their purpose, or have they simply been a stopgap that does not address the root of the problem? The cycle of flooding also highlights that it is not just weather phenomena that are to blame for this crisis; there is a system of negligence and corruption that perpetuates it. The lack of prevention, poor urban planning, and the exploitation of natural resources are responsible for placing the population in increasingly dangerous situations. As the rains continue to fall, the urgency for effective and sustainable solutions becomes more pressing, as does the need for a change in how we conceive and manage our cities. The memory of water and the history of our urbanization should guide us toward a more resilient future.