Why This is Important to Wisconsin: With Wisconsin’s expertise in those areas, companies could provide some new technologies.
Mexico is looking for solutions to growing problems of water availability and waste management.
According to a November 2023 report by the International Trade Administration (ITA), Mexico has an increasing need for water infrastructure and for innovative solutions to solid waste management.
New technologies and modernization projects will offer business opportunities for companies in Wisconsin and across the U.S. in the coming years, the report says.
With a population of 139 million, Mexico has been struggling to meet the demand for water by agriculture, industry, and citizens as rain patterns have altered as a result of climate change and drought. Some aquifers have been drained and cannot recharge due to increased urbanization, and wastewater systems cannot handle the volume of wastewater that the country produces, according to the ITA report.
Among the problems the ITA identified:
- In Mexico City, experts estimate that at least 20% of residents do not have a reliable water source.
- In Monterrey, in the summer of 2022, three of the reservoirs that provide much of the city’s water dried up, leaving about 5 million people in the region without water for up to 75 days.
- In Guadalajara, some neighborhoods have intermittent water pressure that has resulted in the occasional loss of all water access for up to two days.Mexico expects to spend about $3 billion in 2023 to upgrade water infrastructure and wastewater treatment plants.
Meanwhile, Mexico needs a major transformation in its handling of hazardous waste, according to a June 2023 report by Circular Innovation Lab, a Danish think tank. The report said Mexico generates more than 53 million tons of waste each year and only 84% of it is collected.
The report cited a a lack of public policies that raise consumer awareness about the serious impact on health and the environment that can result from the tons of waste that accumulate in streets, parks, beaches, and other public areas around the country.
