Toluca Valley - Economy and Environmental Degradation

Economy and Environmental Degradation

Until the mid 20th century, the main economic activities were agriculture and forestry, due to large expanses of forest, the valley floors’ fertile soils and the Lerma River. Industrialization of the valley began in the 1940s, along with that of the neighboring Valley of Mexico, accelerating in the 1950s and 1960s. The population of the valley grew over four times from 1930 to 2000, with rates significant above those of the rest of the country. Today, the valley is an important industrial area with a high population density with most of the area now urbanized. The workforce of the valley changed from 60% engaged in agricultural activities in 1950 to less than 7% in 2000. Today most are employed in industry and commerce especially in Toluca metro area. Most of the remaining agricultural activity is for subsistence and seasonal, carried out only during the rainy season. The rapid change has led to environmental degradation.

Most of the original wild vegetation is highly exploitable temperate forest, but much of this forest cover has disappeared. Since the latter half of the 20th century more than 10,000 hectares of forests have disappeared, with another 10,000 decimated from their former high density. The Nevado de Toluca National Park was established in 1936 with the purpose of preserved a 51,000 hectare area around the Nevado de Toluca volcano, also known as Xinantécatl. The Nevado de Toluca park, despite its status as a federal reserve has lost half its trees since its establishment, mostly due to illegal logging. Over 75% of the surface has some degree of erosion damage.

Much of the agricultural lands have given way to housing developments, mostly built for workers in the area’s industry. Urban growth has been chaotic with no planned system of roads or of public transport resulting in traffic jams, especially in Toluca. In the 2000s, there have been infrastructure projects to bypass the city of Toluca and make it easier to cross the valley and connect it better with Mexico City, west into Michoacán and south to Cuernavaca .

The growth in industry and population has put significant pressure on fresh water supplies of the areas as well as water pollution problems. Excess pumping of groundwater has led to subsidence problems with an estimate sinking of over two meters since 1962 and a confirmed loss of about forty cm from 2003 to 2008 Investigators at California Institute of Technology, Institute of Technology zero in on remote sensing The pumping and the exploitation of fresh water springs to send potable water to Mexico City has led to diminishing surface water. There is an estimated yearly deficit of between 56 and 89 million cubic liters of water, which has caused the disappearance of springs in Almoloya del Río, Alta Empresa and Ameyalco and even dry spots in the Lerma River in the dry season. The loss of water has led to the disappearance of the shallow lakes and wetlands that line the Lerma River in areas such as Almoloya del Río with has destroyed entire aquatic ecosystems. Of the 10,705 hectares registered in 1943 only 3,000 today become flooded during the rainy season. The dried lagoon lands have become farmland. In addition the quality of the remaining water has been deteriorating since the 1940s with the influx of urban and industrial wastewater. The Lerma River and other channels have been used as drainage channels so the pollution level is very high, surpassing governmental standards for “water suitable for recreational use, conservation of flora and fauna and industrial uses.” Concentrations of heavy metals are a significant problem in the Lerma River above the Alzate Dam.