Mexico: Mexico City authorities have begun implementing a project to transform Mexico City into a “sponge city”
The authorities in Mexico City have launched a project to transform the city into a “sponge city” to address floods, water scarcity, and ground subsidence issues. Beginning in June 2025, under the leadership of the capital’s government, the plan calls for the construction of 100 rainwater absorption wells (pozos de absorción) across various parts of the city, prioritizing areas prone to flooding or water stress. Each well is designed to absorb approximately 25 liters of rainwater per second, resulting in a combined capacity of about 2,500 liters per second for all 100 wells. Additional measures include removing about 143,000 cubic meters of silt from reservoirs and regulatory basins, and constructing new catchment lagoons and regulatory basins to increase storage and facilitate infiltration. The initial areas to be served are Iztapalapa, Tlalpan, Milpa Alta, Magdalena Contreras, Álvaro Obregón, and Xochimilco, and the project has an estimated budget of 30 million Mexican pesos.
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