Since the evolution of mankind on Earth, there have been a lot of concerns which affected human lives, but the largest threat of today’s world is Climate change, which is endangering the lives of every living thing on this planet. Population explosion, massive industrialization and deforestation are the main imputes humans maintained to destroy their environment. World Health Organization, (WHO) reports that yearly 4.2 million deaths occur due to air pollution which causes humans to suffer from stroke, heart diseases, chronic respiratory diseases and lung cancer. The world wholly as a community needs to act against the common issue of climate change and come up with staunch policies to curb this challenge.
Mexico is North American country bordering the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, between Belize and the US. It also borders North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and the US. The capital Mexico City lies about 7,350 feet (2,240 meters), above sea level. The capital city of Mexico was in news as in previous week it was struck by smog which caused an emergency and led school, institutions to close and barred the routinely activities of people. Similar incident happened on the New Year Day, of 2005.The location of the capital which is surrounded by a mountain range which traps pollutants of the air and let them stay in the atmosphere for long, creating a situation not suitable forlife in the city. This event is a matter of concern for the global community as whole and the specifically for the country’s local and national government of Mexico.
The World Health Organization has set a standard of air suspended particles to 90mg and the ratio of suspended particles in Mexico City averaged 179mg per cubic meter, which is way too higher than the set standards making the capital among the most polluted city in the world. Similarly, Guadalajara, Monterrey and Ciudad Juarez are the other most polluted cities of the country. The list of most polluted cities was issued by WHO in which the cities like Ulaanbaatar, Beijing, Lahore, New Delhi, Dhaka and Moscow were the most polluted cities. Furthermore, 15,000 people die every year in Dhaka due to air pollution. Climate change is looming threat for every living being as without clean environment and atmosphere the world will become inhabitable.
The major culprit behind the climate change particularly in Mexico City are:
Huge Traffic
According to Mexico Department of Transportation, only in Mexico City the number of cars exceeds 3 million. The huge traffic means more carbon in the atmosphere, which are greenhouse effecting gases, they act as a catalyst in speeding up the Ozone layer depletion. Furthermore, a city of more than 21 million people, has been plagued by air pollution for decades. The traffic needs to get in check so to lessen the carbon emission into the atmosphere in the coming future.
Industrial Growth.
The industrial sphere of Mexico is huge, comprising of aerospace, tobacco, beverages, petroleum and mining, making it the 6th largest producer of oil in the world. With groomed and stable economy, the price is high to pay. The industrial waste is damaging the sea as well as the land. Most of the industries work inside the cities which produces a lot of pollution putting precious lives at stake. Another huge concern!
Wild Fires
A wild fire is an uncontrolled fire is either the result of natural activity like lightening or due to the man-made mistakes intentionally and unintentionally. However, in both the cases, the lives of living beings are at the verge of destruction. Mexico Department of Environment stated that 100 wildfires burning incidents were observed in 20 out of country’s 32 states (31 states and 1 Federal District) in year 2019. This is alarming as the fire in any form destroys the stable environment harshly.
Urbanization
The United Nation indicated that about 55 percent of population is living in the cities today. The number is going to peak 68 percent in the coming decade. Similarly, the number of people migrating to Mexico City has increased manifolds in the recent years. Thus, a lot of people feeding more on the resources with scarce amount available to utilize.
There are certain Strategies to tackle Climate Change Related Issues:
Eco Friendly Buildings and Transportation
The climate change is the most important challenge of the recent world. United Nation in the list of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the millennia has listed climate change as one of the areas to be considered seriously to make the world a better place. To achieve the desired outcomes, eco-friendly building must be the target , along with eco-friendly transport system in the national and local plans of the countries. Particularly, Mexico must make concrete plans to let things work out as the issue can grow even worse in the coming future.
Clean Energy Technology and Eco Agriculture should be promoted
The clean energy is the energy efficient method to curtail greenhouse gases emission through the introduction of the renewable energy resources like, solar, wind energy, biomass geothermal and hydropower energy. Such clean energy technologies should be given way to protect our environment. The Eco-Agriculture techniques must be included into the policy by planting locally grown trees which serves the purpose of both food and household usage.
National Adaptation Plan (NAP)
The United Nation and the Global Environment Facility through collaboration has come up with the strategies, which objectifies to inculcate such methods which reduces climate change patterns. Similarly, encouraging activities like eco-agriculture and clean energy technology employment. The NAP strategies are being put into practice in countries like Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar and Afghanistan. Adopting such strategies into the local and national policies of Mexico will help the authorities to come up with better plans for the country.
“Climate change is no longer some far-off problem; it is happening here it is happening now.” Barack Obama.
The climate change is posing a grave danger to all the nations. Previously South Africa saw the aftermaths of climate change. Similarly, the developing countries are more vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Mexico was home to many great civilizations including the Olmec, the Maya, the Zapotec and the Aztec. It still holds numerous archaeological sites with beautiful landscapes. However, the climate change can make the lives of Mexicans miserable soon, which needs to be address not only by the Mexican government specifically, but by the whole world community altogether. The Paris Agreement on climate change, the Climate Reality Project alike other projects and organisations should be promoted, and their policies must be given space in the country’s local and national policies, especially, those of developing countries.
The writer is a researcher and a scholar and can be reached at [email protected]