Oaxaca Water Quality Forum   

The Oaxaca Water Quality Forum (called Foro Oaxaqueño del Agua in spanish) is a meeting that brings together concerned members of the public, nonprofits, and government officials to discuss water quality issues and possible solutions in Oaxaca, Mexico.

Contents 1 Water Quality Topics Discussed 1.1 The Need for Healthy Forests 1.2 Desertification 1.3 Food and Water for Everyone 1.4 Impacts of Large Dams and Hydropower 1.5 Climate Change Impacts on Water Availability 1.6 Making the city of Oaxaca Sustainable

[edit] Water Quality Topics Discussed

• 

  Water for Humans representative speaking about the Future plans at the Etla Waste Water Treatment plant

• 

  Water Samples from Oaxacan drinking water sites testing positive for pathogens including ecoli.

• 

  Concerned attendant at forum speaking up about contamination

[edit] The Need for Healthy Forests

Forests affect watershed quality. Cutting down forests removes a protective layer over the soil and increases rains erosive impacts.

For more info see [File:Las Presas:Los Bosques: Fuente Fundamental De Vida]in Spanish

[edit] Desertification

For more info see [File:La Amenaza De La Desertification]

[edit] Food and Water for Everyone

For more info see [File:Alimentos y Agua Para Todos]

[edit] Impacts of Large Dams and Hydropower

There are 667 dams in Mexico, which have altered or fragmented about 60% of the rivers in Mexico. 40- 60 million people have been displaced for these dams directly, and possible 60-100 million have been displaced indirectly. About 30 to 40% of the farms in Mexico are irrigated with the water from these dams and 19% of the electricity is generated. Problems from Dams discussed:

• Those people displaced by a dam are often relocated to areas much higher up in areas of dense forest and sloped hillsides, where they need to cut the forest in order to make for themselves a new home and farm. Forest removal reduces the precipitation and therefore reduces the current of the river, making the seasonal influx become permanent.

• The diversion of water from its normal course and naturally irrigated areas to artificially irrigated areas creates problems of saturation and salinity in the soil.

For more info see [File:Las Presas: La Enfermedad del Gigantismo] in Spanish

[edit] Climate Change Impacts on Water Availability

For more info see [File:Mucha Agua o Muy Poca]in Spanish

[edit] Making the city of Oaxaca Sustainable

For more info see [File:Hacer de Oaxaca una Ciudad Sustentable]in Spanish