In the past 100 years, Mexico City has sunk more than 30 feet. The original city was built on the site of a former lake—the Aztecs built the city on a series of aquatic platforms, but when the Spanish conquered the city, they drained the lake, causing it to sink. As the city population ballooned and the demand for water increased in the 20th century, the government began pumping much of the city's supply out of the underground aquifer that once fed the lake, causing the city to sink further. No practical plan has been made for the future to provide the 22 million inhabitants of Mexico City with the water they need without destroying the city.

墨西哥城，墨西哥

在过去100年，墨西哥城已经下沉了30多英尺。原来的城市是建在以前湖的原址上-阿兹特克人将城市建在许多水生平台上，但当西班牙人征服该城时，他们就将湖水排干，致使城市下沉。随着20世纪城市人口膨胀及对水的需求增加，政府开始从为湖泊注水的地下含水层中大量抽水以供应城市所需，导致城市进一步下沉。将来如何在不破坏城市的前提下为墨西哥城的2千2百万居民提供用水，还没有制定出任何切实可行的计划。