Around 60 percent of the 12 aquifers in the state of Querétaro are in an unsustainable condition, as more water is being extracted than is naturally replenished, revealed Katia Reséndiz Jaime, president of the Querétaro State Water Advisory Council (CCAEQ), during the presentation of the state’s Water Program. The official acknowledged that the state is currently facing a scenario of water stress.
She explained that this problem has intensified due to rapid population growth, as Querétaro has doubled its population in the last 30 years and currently exceeds 2.4 million inhabitants. Furthermore, urbanization has reduced natural water infiltration by more than 40 percent, which directly impacts the recharge of aquifers.
The Water Program proposes strengthening and diversifying water sources, restoring dams, reservoirs, and recharge zones, reducing leaks, and modernizing the hydraulic infrastructure. It also proposes to promote water reuse, protect strategic areas of the metropolitan aquifer by decree, and update the state legal framework to align it with the General Water Law, with the aim of guaranteeing supply in the face of droughts, irregular rainfall, and climate change.
Source: ciudadyypoder
