Abstract
When Mexico and the United States (U.S.) agreed to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), they expected the resulting economic growth to have some adverse environmental side effects. The two parties therefore came to an environmental agreement to create the Border Environmental Cooperation Commission (BECC) and the North American Development Bank (NADB) to cooperate with existing water institutions in addressing water pollution. Mexican, U.S., and bilateral agencies have invested over $1.5 billion between 1999 and 2005 in water and wastewater (W/WW) infrastructure along the U.S.—Mexico border. This infrastructure has reduced water pollution in the Rio Grande, which forms the international border. This paper reports on sources of funds, characterizes W/WW infrastructure investment, and documents water quality improvement. Improvements in water quality have occurred where infrastructure has been added. On the other hand, water quality problems persist where infrastructure investments have yet to be made or have been overwhelmed by regional population growth. This paper is based on information gathered for an EPA report on the impacts of water-related infrastructure along the Mexico—Texas border
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References
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Dulay, M., Eaton, D. (2009). How Investment in Wastewater Infrastructure has Improved Water Quality Along the US—Mexico Border. In: Lipchin, C., Sandler, D., Cushman, E. (eds) The Jordan River and Dead Sea Basin. NATO Science for Peace and Security Series C: Environmental Security. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2989-8_9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2989-8_9
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