San Miguel's Water Crisis

Wednesday, August 10, 2016 - 11:00am
Cesar Arias & Atahualpa Caldera Sosa

Desertification and declining access to potable water are central features of global warming and the worldwide environmental crisis. By 2030, a 40% global shortfall in a stable supply of good-quality fresh water is expected. As of 2008, 70% of the world’s water was used for agricultural needs. With industrial agricultural comes heavy pesticide and chemical use. These chemicals flow into the river systems and alter ecosystems. An additional dilemma is the growing privatization of the world's dwindling fresh water supply. In 2008, the U.N. estimated that it would require funds of $30 billion a year to provide clean, accessible, drinking water to the entire planet while in the previous year, the world spent $90 billion on bottled water

Here in the state of Guanajuato, surface water is being depleted from overuse and deep groundwater is being pumped to the surface. This deep groundwater is more than 10,000 years old and has been in contact with subsurface volcanic rock which has increased its concentration of fluoride, arsenic and sodium to unacceptable levels. This water is already being consumed in several communities of San Miguel, Dolores Hidalgo and San Diego de la Union. Its use is spreading and is seriously affecting the health of the population.

Cesar Arias of the Charco del Ingenio and Atahualpa Caldera Sosa of GAIA, Grupo de Acción Interdisciplinaria Ambiental discuss this situation and the struggles to find solutions.

Upcoming Events

Saturday, October 11, 2025 - 3:00pm
CST
Location:
1º de Mayo #58, Colonia Aurora, San Miguel de Allende

In October 2024, we had our first artistic and cultural project to continue speaking about Palestine and to raise our voices in favor of the liberation of the Palestinian people and against the genocide being committed in Palestine.

... Read more
Monday, October 13, 2025 - 1:30pm
CST
Film Screening
Followed by discussion with Brad Rockwell
Location:
La Biblioteca, Teatro Santa Ana, Insurgentes 25, Centro, San Miguel de Allende

2025 Academy Award Nominee for Best Documentary

Remarkable largely unknown footage of a dramatic turning point in world history covering events over three continents concerning a tragic coup in the Congo. Featuring: Maya Angelou, Louis Armstrong, Dizzy... Read more

Wednesday, October 22, 2025 - 12:00pm
CST
Organized by The Reentry Resource Program

You are invited to join a discussion with filmmaker Santiago Esteinou and Cesar Fierro about the new documentaryThe Freedom of Fierro.

César Fierro has just become a free man, and he needs to rebuild his life after being wrongly sentenced to death in Texas. César spent 40 years in prison before being released... Read more

Monday, November 3, 2025 - 1:30pm
CST
Joe Belden
Location:
La Biblioteca, Sala Quezal, Insurgentes 25, Centro, San Miguel de Allende
This mostly forgotten war led to Mexico losing over half its territory and the United States expanding to the Pacific. The lecture examines the political and economic background of the conflict, what led to it, and the roles of such factors as Texas annexation in 1845, slavery, racism, the Democratic and Whig parties, and Manifest... Read more