Drought, Heat, and Pests Stress Border Agriculture

The document outlines the agricultural stresses caused by climate change, specifically focusing on the US-Mexico border region where drought, groundwater depletion, and extreme heat are threatening farming viability and worker health. It highlights the link between agricultural collapse and migration in Central America and suggests reporting angles on water cuts, pest increases, and adaptation strategies.

• As of May 2025, drought affects approximately 38% of Mexico, with 16% of that area categorized as abnormally dry, leading to crop failures and the depletion of aquifers in states such as Sonora and Chihuahua.
• The Colorado River basin has experienced a groundwater loss of 27.8 million acre-feet since 2003, a volume nearly equal to the full capacity of Lake Mead, resulting in an 18% reduction in water allocation for Arizona.
• Extreme heat is increasing health risks for agricultural workers in California's Central Valley, Mexicali, and Baja California, with some crews starting work at 4am to avoid dangerous temperatures despite rising heat stress hospitalizations.
• Climate-driven agricultural failure is a primary driver of migration, with researchers linking droughts in Central America to increased migration to the US, a pattern that may now be emerging in the US Southwest and northern Mexico.

APA

CCNow (2025). Drought, Heat, and Pests Stress Border Agriculture. Covering Climate Now. https://coveringclimatenow.org/from-us-story/drought-heat-and-pests-stress-border-agriculture/

Chicago

CCNow. Drought, Heat, and Pests Stress Border Agriculture. Covering Climate Now, 2025. https://coveringclimatenow.org/from-us-story/drought-heat-and-pests-stress-border-agriculture/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=CCNow |title=Drought, Heat, and Pests Stress Border Agriculture |publisher=Covering Climate Now |date=4 June 2025 |url=https://coveringclimatenow.org/from-us-story/drought-heat-and-pests-stress-border-agriculture/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ccnow2025drought, author = {CCNow}, title = {{Drought, Heat, and Pests Stress Border Agriculture}}, institution = {Covering Climate Now}, year = {2025}, month = jun, url = {https://coveringclimatenow.org/from-us-story/drought-heat-and-pests-stress-border-agriculture/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }