Vulnerability and adaptation to drought in Mexico

The country of Mexico has a long and varied experience with drought, whethe r described by early historical chronicles or contemporary climatic data an d disaster declarations. Much of Mexico is semi-arid and interannual rainfa ll is highly variable. The experience of drought has resulted in a wide ran ge of adaptations to climate variability, yet today many Mexicans are still extremely vulnerable to lower than average rainfall. This article provides an overview of the nature, causes and consequences of drought in Mexico, f ocusing on how vulnerability and adaptations vary over time anti space. Som e preliminary results of a case study of the recent drought in northern Mex ico illustrate the state of vulnerability and the limits of adaptation in c ontemporary Mexico.