… Last month’s agreement to accelerate tackling the long‑running sewage crisis in the Tijuana River Valley is proof that — even now — quiet, institutional diplomacy can deliver. … Since the 1983 La Paz Agreement, the United States and Mexico have built a structured framework for environmental cooperation. … In 2022, this collaboration deepened with a memorandum of understanding and a commitment from Mexico to invest $144 million in wastewater infrastructure in the Tijuana River Watershed by 2027. … The new agreement reinforces this prior commitment by prioritizing the remaining $93 million and accelerating timelines, reflecting a shared understanding that expanded infrastructure and sustained operations are vital to protect public health and ecosystems.
–Written by Duncan Wood, CEO of Hurst International Consulting in Washington, D.C., and Marie Elena Giner, former commissioner for the International Boundary and Water Commission.