sertification; inadequate
supplies of potable water; poaching
Malta
very limited natural fresh water resources; increasing
reliance on desalination
Man, Isle of
waste disposal (both household and industrial);
transboundary air pollution
Marshall Islands
inadequate supplies of potable water; pollution of
Majuro lagoon from household waste and discharges from fishing
vessels
Martinique
NA
Mauritania
overgrazing, deforestation, and soil erosion aggravated
by drought are contributing to desertification; very limited natural
fresh water resources away from the Senegal, which is the only
perennial river; locust infestation
Mauritius
water pollution, degradation of coral reefs
Mayotte
NA
Mexico
scarcity of hazardous waste disposal facilities; rural to
urban migration; natural fresh water resources scarce and polluted
in north, inaccessible and poor quality in center and extreme
southeast; raw sewage and industrial effluents polluting rivers in
urban areas; deforestation; widespread erosion; desertification;
deteriorating agricultural lands; serious air and water pollution in
the national capital and urban centers along US-Mexico border; land
subsidence in Valley of Mexico caused by groundwater depletion
note: the government considers the lack of clean water and
deforestation national security issues
Micronesia, Federated States of
overfishing, climate change,
pollution
Midway Islands
NA
Moldova
heavy use of agricultural chemicals, including banned
pesticides such as DDT, has contaminated soil and groundwater;
extensive soil erosion from poor farming methods
Monaco
NA
Mongolia
limited natural fresh water resources in some areas; the
policies of former Communist regimes promoted rapid urbanization and
industrial growth that had negative effects on the environment; the
burning of soft coal in power plants and the lack of enforcement of
environmental laws severely polluted the air in Ulaanbaatar;
deforestation, overgrazing, and the converting of virgin land to
agricultural production increased soil erosion from wind and rain;
desertification and mining activities had a deleterious effect on
the environment
Montserrat
land erosion occurs on slopes that have been cleared for
cultivation
Morocco
land degradation/desertification (soil erosion resulting
from farming of marginal areas, overgrazin
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