A severe, long-term drought is devastating the cattle ranching regions of northern Mexico, leaving dead livestock scattered across the parched plains and forcing farmers to contemplate abandoning the land their families have worked for generations.
Over 64% of Mexico is currently experiencing drought conditions, with northern states like Chihuahua among the hardest hit. Much of Chihuahua is now classified under the most extreme levels of drought, according to government data.
The crisis on the ground comes amid escalating tensions between Mexico and the United States over a 1944 water-sharing treaty. The U.S. has accused Mexico of failing to meet its treaty obligations, leaving Texan farmers struggling, and prompting threats of tariffs and sanctions from former President Donald Trump. Mexican officials argue that the deepening drought has left them unable to deliver the required volumes of water.
In the cattle-rearing town of Julimes, the desperation is palpable.
“I don’t think we’ll be able to hold out much longer,” said 62-year-old farmer Leopoldo Ochoa, riding horseback with his granddaughter behind a dwindling herd.
Farmers have already moved their livestock away from higher-altitude grazing areas where water and grass have all but vanished. In Valle de Zaragoza, another hard-hit area, 60-year-old Manuel Araiza shared his fears about abandoning his lifelong home.
“If there is no more water, we will have to leave this ranch and look elsewhere. Imagine leaving here at my age, where I have lived all my life,” Araiza said solemnly. “It is sad, but it is the reality that all of this is coming to an end.”
As international diplomats debate water deliveries, local farmers are forced to make personal, painful decisions.
“My children tell me this is no longer profitable and that I should sell the animals,” said Estreberto Saenz Monje, 57. “The truth is, we’ve never seen anything like this before.”
For these communities, the worsening drought is more than a weather crisis — it’s an existential threat to their way of life.
