About This Project
Summary
Mexico City's drinking water crisis is a complex, longstanding problem rooted in a number of exacerbating factors, from climate change and over-development to pollution and chaotic population growth. In this visual essay, Long Lead partnered with Magnum Photos to publish photography by Jérôme Sessini that documents the Mexican capital’s diminished drinking water supply, with a lens fixed on the people impacted most by this arid new reality.
Goals & Objectives
Without enough water to keep it afloat, Mexico City is literally sinking under the weight of its own ambition and growth. The goal of this feature is to raise awareness of the consequences of climate change by showing how Mexico's lakes have dried up, reservoirs drained low, and taps have run dry.
Results & Impact
This feature combines rich context of Mexico’s drought and struggling water treatment infrastructure with human elements to bring a level of empathy not often seen in climate reporting. Over 50,000 people—mostly in the increasingly arid US—engaged with the feature through email and social campaigns.
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