The capital is sinking and it is no joke
NASA confirmed it with its satellites: Mexico City is sinking at a rate of almost 25 centimeters per year. It is one of the metropolises with the greatest subsidence on the planet. And it’s not new, but the current figures are chilling.
Built on an ancient lake, the metropolitan area – with more than 20 million souls – suffers the consequences of decades of extracting water from the ground as if there were no tomorrow. Urban growth only accelerates the disaster.
What’s happening downstairs?
The phenomenon is already hitting key infrastructure: the Metro, drainage, streets and even historical jewels such as the Metropolitan Cathedral or the Angel of Independence show worrying trends. It’s not a visual effect, it’s real.
“In some areas the subsidence reaches up to two centimeters per month, which is equivalent to more than 12 meters in less than a century,” warns Enrique Cabral, UNAM researcher.
Twelve meters. Think about that: In a hundred years, parts of the city could be more than three stories below today’s level.
The water drama
New measurements from the NISAR satellite reveal that the capital continues to deform from underground. This is not only a subsidence problem: it aggravates the water crisis. Every time we draw water, the soil is compressed and the cycle feeds on itself.
Experts and authorities agree that satellite information will be key to designing long-term mitigation strategies. But in the meantime, the city continues to decline. And we, on top, without looking down.
