MEXICO CITY
(Reuters) - Water may be the source of life. But in Mexico, it
is also a cause of death.
Frequently
contaminated with fecal matter, pumped through aquifers that date
back to Aztec times, and fouled by industrial and domestic waste,
Mexico's drinking water is an environmental catastrophe, the Organization
for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said in a report.
``In most
regions (of Mexico), the water is qualified as contaminated, either
strongly or excessively,'' the OECD said in its study released
Thursday.
Environmentalists
say one major problem Mexico faces in the 21st century is a scarcity
of water. More than half of the nation's land is arid and unproductive,
especially in the northern deserts.
The problem
becomes even more acute when what little water is available is
largely undrinkable.
The OECD,
a grouping of the world's big economies that has included Mexico
since 1994, said one-third of gastrointestinal problems suffered
by Mexicans could be traced to water supplies contaminated by
feces.
Based on 1997
data, the OECD report said the situation was worse in poorer states.
It said that 54 of every 100,000 inhabitants of the indigenous
southern state of Oaxaca died because of bad water. This mortality
rate is 14 times higher than in the northern state of Nuevo Leon,
where many of Mexico's biggest companies are based and where the
standard of living is far higher than among the Indian villages
in the south.
The OECD acknowledged
that Mexico has made some progress recently in modernizing its
water distribution system. But it added that Aztec-era drainage
and water distribution systems that are at least 500 years old
were partly to blame for the poor water quality.
``Mexico's
hydraulic engineering dates back to pre-Hispanic times,'' it said,
citing Mexico City, the heart of a sprawling urban area encompassing
some 20 million people.
The OECD said
Mexico needs huge investments in water treatment and distribution
to support a growing population.
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