| 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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