AFP

Some US states and Mexico should also reduce water consumption to avoid "catastrophic" repercussions on the Colorado River, at a time when the region is suffering from an unprecedented drought, according to the federal government. After two decades of below-average precipitation, the water level in this vital river of the American West is causing concern. Droughts are exacerbated by human-caused climate change. Despite repeated warnings, states that rely on this river have not succeeded in reducing water use sufficiently, prompting the federal authorities to impose these restrictions on Tuesday. "To avoid a catastrophic collapse of the Colorado River system and an uncertain and potentially contentious fate, it is necessary to reduce water consumption in the river basin," said Tania Trujillo, an official with the Federal Water Resources Agency. In 2023, the percentage of water given to Arizona will decrease by 21%, by 8% in Nevada, and by 7% in Mexico, into which the river flows. California, the state that uses the largest percentage of river water and has the largest population of any US state, will not be affected by these restrictions next year. Officials in states located at the source of the river denounced an unfair decision in their view. "It is unacceptable that Arizona continues to shoulder a disproportionate part of the burden of water reduction for the benefit of others who have not contributed" to the effort, said a statement issued by officials in Arizona, located in the southwestern United States. The Colorado River originates in the Rocky Mountains and crosses Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, California, and northern Mexico, where it empties into the sea. It is fed by snowfalls that accumulate in the highlands in winter before melting in the hot months. However, due to climate change, the rain is lessening and the snow is melting at a faster rate, depriving the river of water resources, knowing that it provides water for tens of millions of people and many agricultural holdings. The Ministry of the Interior, which handles water management, is doing everything it can to "conserve water" and ensure that everyone affected receives "appropriate assistance," Assistant Minister Tommy Boudreaux said. He stressed that "the more severe droughts affecting the Colorado River Basin are caused by the repercussions of climate change, especially the extreme heat and light precipitation." The American West is witnessing its twenty-third year of drought. This wave is the most intense in over a thousand years. These conditions facilitate the outbreak of forest fires, which in turn are increasing in intensity