People living in Mexico could soon benefit from a new international collaboration to secure clean drinking water in the country.
An international network of water security provision experts, led by the University of Bath’s Water Innovation and Research Centre (WIRC @ Bath), is aiming to address the limited amount of safe drinking water available in the country.
Led by Dr Mirella Di Lorenzo from WIRC @ Bath, the team will include experts from the University of Bath, University of Bristol, and the Mexican NGO Fomento Mexicano para el Desarrollo Sustentable, and will aim to develop affordable solutions for water provision in the poorest areas of Mexico.
The 10-month MAPwater project, funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAeng) will focus on rural community of Llano Grande, close to Mexico City, where access to safe water is a major challenge.
In many rural communities in Mexico, access to safe drinking water is still a luxury, with ground water the main source. However, the extensive and unregulated extraction of ground water to meet the demands of a growing population is the main cause of widespread severe soil sinking and cracking.
Lead investigator and Senior Lecturer in the Department of Chemical Engineering, Dr Di Lorenzo said: “This is an exciting opportunity to engage with the research community in Mexico and key local stakeholders, to collaboratively address the challenge of water scarcity and quality in rural areas of Mexico.”
Chairman of Fomento Mexicano, Rodolfo Rueda, said: “Clean and accessible water for all the Mexicans and citizens of other developing countries is an essential part of the world we want to live in. In Fomento Mexicano we strongly believe that supporting the participation of local communities and strengthen synergies between private entities, academy, and public sector will be crucial in order to achieve by 2030, a universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all.”
