MEXICO CITY, Mexico — An aerial view of Mexico City sprawling across the dry lakebed of the Valley of Mexico. The dense urban landscape stretches to the horizon, illustrating the city's enormous scale and its precarious relationship with water resources. The visible lack of surface water bodies highlights the ongoing water crisis facing this megacity built on the site of the ancient Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan.


Photograph by David Coleman. Mexico City, one of the largest and most densely populated cities in the world, is captured in this aerial view, sprawling across the dry lakebed of the Valley of Mexico. The city’s urban expanse stretches as far as the eye can see, illustrating both the vast scale of this megacity and the environmental challenges it faces. Built on the remnants of the ancient Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, Mexico City has a complex and precarious relationship with its water resources. The visible absence of surface water bodies in this image underscores the severe water crisis that the city confronts, as it struggles with issues of water scarcity, subsidence, and the need for sustainable water management. The city’s rapid expansion over the centuries has led to significant environmental impacts, including the draining of the once-extensive lakes that filled the Valley of Mexico. Today, Mexico City’s efforts to balance urban growth with environmental sustainability remain a critical challenge, as it continues to develop on a foundation shaped by both its ancient past and modern demands.


Size: 4588px × 3039px
Location: Valle de México, Mexico City, Mexico City, Mexico
Photo credit: © David Coleman | Have Camera Will Travel / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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