Mexico City

Mexico City’s Resilience Journey

Mexico City is the largest city in the Western Hemisphere, and the eighth wealthiest city on earth. It is home to more museums than any other city, and has the fourth highest number of theaters.

More than 20 million inhabitants live in this megalopolis – but a large percentage live in extremely vulnerable conditions. The proliferation of informal employment, a lag in infrastructure, strong social inequality, severe weather, and the sheer size of the city’s population all compound the risk of disaster – social disaster, political disaster, and environmental disaster.

Mexico City faces significant danger from natural phenomena. Its geographical conditions make it continually susceptible to seismic hazards, while being located on land that was once a lake makes the city prone to flooding. Runoff from the nearby mountains is improperly managed, which, in addition to flooding, can lead to mudslides and waterborne diseases from standing water.

Aware of both its strengths and weaknesses, Mexico City is poised to transform its resilience plan from reactive to proactive in the coming years.