We explain what an environmental contingency is, its causes and the response of States. Also, the case of Mexico City.
What is an environmental contingency?
An environmental contingency It is an environmental crisis due to the effects of pollution that puts the durability of an ecosystem at risk. It can be due to natural disasters or human causes.
This type of crisis can vary in severity and urgency, from simple environmental alerts to situations of severe health risk that require immediate action.
In such cases, States activate a series of measures intended to protect the population of harmful environmental effects, at their different levels of urgency. The set of these measures is called an environmental contingency plan and it is activated by local or regional institutions.
The protection that the plan offers involves informing, educating and providing inputs to the population so that they can minimize the deterioration of their health, while taking political, social and legal measures to tackle the crisis. In some cases, the term “environmental precontingency” is also often used, as a stage prior to the true environmental crisis.
See also: Environmental problems
Environmental contingency in Mexico City
In the Mexican capital, a megalopolis of almost 9 million people, urban air quality has deteriorated to such drastic levels, as a result of industrial activity and urban automobile transportation, that environmental contingencies are frequent.
The most recent of them occurred in 2019, between May 9 and 18 when the highest levels of air pollution in 14 years were recorded, due in part to the enormous drought and the forest fire season in different states of the country.
The suspension of particles in the air and the levels of ozone released reached such a dangerous level that The environmental alert was extended for the first time in the Federal District and in the cities of Puebla, Hidalgo, Morelos and Tlaxcala immediately suspending outdoor activities and public events, such as educational activities.
This measure was in force until May 19, when pollution levels decreased from 149 points to 106, in addition to having a favorable weather forecast for clearing the atmosphere in the capital region.
Continue with: Causes of pollution
References
- “Mexico City environmental crisis of 2019” on Wikipedia.
- “What is environmental contingency?” in El Heraldo de México.
- “What is an environmental contingency?” at Expok.
