AIR POLLUTION IN MEXICO

AND SOLUTIONS TAKEN TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM

MEXICO CITY’S AIR HAS GONE FROM AMONG THE WORLD’S CLEANEST TO AMONG THE DIRTIEST IN THE SPAN OF A GENERATION.

The average visibility of some 100 km in

1940s is down to about 1.5 km. Snow-

capped volcanoes (Popocatepetl, Ixtacihuatl,

and Paricutin) that were once parts of the

landscape are now visible only rarely.

Levels of almost any pollutant like nitrogen

dioxide (NO2) now regularly break

international standards by two to three

times.

Levels of ozone (O3), a pollutant that

protects us from solar radiation in the upper

atmosphere but is dangerous to breathe, are

twice as high as the maximum allowed limit.

V

Mexico City is one of the worlds largest

metropolitan areas, housing nearly 21

million inhabitants within the Valle de

Mexico (also referred to as the Mexico City

basin). The Valle de Mexico occupies

~1300km2 at a nominal elevation of

2240 m above mean sea level.

The Metropolitan Area of Mexico City, also

called Zona Metropolitana de la Ciudad de

México (ZMCM), lies in a high altitude

basin almost completely surrounded by

hills, mountains (including dormant/active

volcanoes )

More than 20% of Mexico s entire

population lives in the Valle de Mexico, and

more than 30% of the country's industrial

output is produced within its environs.

Though already one of the world’s largest

cities, the Mexico City metropolitan area is

still growing at a rate exceeding 3%

annually. More than three million vehicles

travel on its streets daily.

MEXICO CITY IS BORDERED ON THE EAST AND WEST BY MOUNTAINS THAT RISE 1000 M ABOVE THE VALLEY FLOOR,

WITH LOW POINTS TO THE NORTH AND SOUTH

THE CITYS AIR PROBLEM IS AGGRAVATED BY ITS UNIQUE GEOGRAPHY.

The air of Mexico City contains different types of pollutants, mostly of

vehicle exhausts. Among these pollutants are carbon monoxide,

nitrogen dioxide, ozone, benzenes and aldehydes. They are less

visible than the pollutants of yesteryear but are more or less toxic,

causing eye irritation, asthma and bronchial complaints.

Exhaust fumes from Mexico Citys estimated 4 million motor vehicles, many of which are

old and especially environmentally damaging, are the main source of air pollutants.

The Mexican Health Secretariat

says that more than a third of

Mexico’s disease burden is the

result of environmental factors,

the most serious of which is air

pollution.

THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT RECOGNIZES THE SEVERITY OF ITS AIR POLLUTION PROBLEM AND HAS PROPOSED INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS TO ADDRESS IT.

These include providing incentives for using cleaner fuels and smog control measures.

In major urban centers, private car drivers are required to have catalytic converters or refrain from driving one day a week.

The state-owned Oil company Pemex is also contributing to the pollution reduction effort. Since Mexico began to produce cars with emission controls in 1991, Pemex has been reducing its production of leaded Gasoline.

IT HAS ALSO MOVED TO REPLACE ITS HIGH-SULFUR DIESEL WITH A NEW VARIETY CONTAINING ONLY 0.05% SULFUR.

Mexico City has its own secretariat of the environment, which is actively involved in improving the capitals air.

IN 2002, CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM, MEXICO CITYS ENVIRONMENT SECRETARY, SIGNED AN AGREEMENT WITH THE WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE (WRI) TO CREATE THE CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT IN MEXICO CITY (CSTMC). THE BROAD MISSION OF THE CSTMC IS TO DEVISE A SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT NETWORK FOR THE CITY OF 20 MILLION

BETWEEN 2002 AND 2005, IT WILL FOCUS ON:

1) Establishing a bus rapid transit system with at least two corridors;

2) Selecting the best new engine/fuel combinations for new high capacity transit buses that will run on the corridors; and

3) Pilot-testing a program to modify existing diesel vehicles to reduce conventional air pollutants.

….IN ADDITION TO SETTING UP THE CSTMC HAS WORKED TO CREATE INCENTIVES BOTH TO SPUR THE OWNERS OF APPROXIMATELY 2 MILLION OLD CARS TO UPGRADE TO NEWER MODELS AND COMPANIES TO INVEST IN CLEANER VEHICLES. DOZENS OF MANUFACTURERS ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES TO OUTFIT GASOLINE POWERED DELIVERY TRUCKS WITH CLEANER LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS.

CAR USE has doubled in smoggy Mexico City in the last seven

years. But as we've also noted, the current Mexico City

government, headed up by Mayor Marcelo Ebrard, has shown

leadership in beginning to transform Mexico City into a more

hospitable environment for bicyclists and public transport riders.

On January, Tanya Muller, director of urban reforestation,

parks and bike paths for the mayor's office, announced that

the city government has committed to build 186 miles (300

kilometers) of bike paths, or ciclovías, complemented by

weekly street closings to vehicle traffic by 2012.

It's an ambitious goal, and the city will have to build 37 miles (50 km) of paths every year for the next five years. The city will also construct a series of bike parking lots, watched by security guards, adjacent to Metro station hubs and in the financial district.

MEXICO CITY MAYOR MARCELO EBRARD ANNOUNCED THE EXPANSION OF OF THE CITY’S “BUS RAPID TRANSIT” (BRT) SYSTEM, KNOWN HERE AS THE METROBUS, BY CREATING AN ADDITIONAL NINE LINES OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.

EBRARD signed a commitment to partner with the

Center for Sustainable Transport (CTS), the World

Resources Institute (WRI), - to reduce transport-

related air pollution and greenhouse gas

emissions; improve urban transport; improve

accessibility, traffic safety and public security; and

boost the quality of public spaces in Mexico City.

CTS, WRI WILL JOINTLY DESIGN AND MANAGE THE AUGMENTATION PROJECT, EXTENDING

THE METROBUS NETWORK FROM 20 TO 220 KILOMETERS.

ONCE COMPLETED, THE METROBUS SYSTEM WILL BE ONE OF THE LARGEST BRT SYSTEMS

IN THE WORLD.

IN YET ANOTHER BOLD GESTURE DEMONSTRATING THAT HE WANTS TO EMULATE GREEN MAYORS LIKE BOGOTA'S ENRIQUE PEÑALOSA AND LONDON'S KEN LIVINGSTONE, MEXICO CITY MAYOR MARCELO EBRARD RECENTLY UNVEILED A "GREEN PLAN" FOR THE METROPOLIS.

"TODAY CONCLUDES THE FIRST STAGE IN A LONG PATH THAT WE SHOULD TAKE TO BUILD THE SUSTAINABLE CITY THAT WE WANT," SAID EBRARD ON AUGUST 31, 2007.

THE "PLAN VERDE" IS DIVIDED INTO SEVEN THEMATIC ACTIONS: LAND CONSERVATION, PUBLIC SPACE, WATER, MOBILITY, AIR, WASTE AND CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENERGY.

One of the most controversial elements of the plan is an extension to the "HOY NO CIRCULA" (Today Don't Drive) plan, a program where drivers are prohibited from using their vehicles one weekday a week based on their license plate numbers to reduce pollution.

Beginning in 2008, Hoy No Circula will be extended to Saturday. One fifth of the city's 2.5 million registered vehicles will be restricted from circulating between 10 am to 6 pm.

PLAN VERDE also includes rules on the provision of water to those who don't pay for the service, as well as the substitution of 100% of the city's official vehicle fleet for cleaner models.

AMONG THE VARIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL BIG WIGS ON THE PLAN'S ADVISORY COUNCIL IS NOBEL PRIZE IN CHEMISTRY WINNER, MARIO MOLINA.

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