McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) — The North American Development Bank has decided to invest in more water conservation and diversification projects to help the U.S. and Mexican border region, which is struggling from drought and lack of water in the Rio Grande.
NADBank’s board of directors made the decision to make water its top priority during its last semi-annual meeting of 2024 last week in San Antonio, the bank said.
The board wants to come up with comprehensive plans to invest in ways to help the agriculture sector and municipalities on both sides of the border, the binational agency announced.
The agency announced its Water Investment Program proposal which lists water sector investments as “its top priority,” according to the plan.
NADBank has already helped provide financing for 204 water projects totaling $1.4 billion, but wants to increase that.
The board approved a financing commitment of up to $175 million for the Water Investment Program, and says the bank will continue to work with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Mexican National Water Commission (CONAGUA) on project proposals.
The board expects to help fund $70 million per year on five to seven water projects north and south of the border. If so, this would more than double the bank’s current funding on water projects, which average about $30 million annually, according to the plan.
NADBank has asked the public to comment on the before Dec. 15 at this link.
The proposal to elevate water issues to the top of its agenda comes after several Texas lawmakers last month asked NADBank to reactivate the Water Infrastructure Fund amid a lingering drought, population explosion and struggle for water by farmers and ranchers and municipalities as water levels in the Rio Grande and South Texas reservoirs diminish.
Republican U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, of Texas, along with GOP U.S. Reps. Monica De La Cruz, Tony Gonzales, and Democratic U.S. Reps. Vicente Gonzalez, Veronica Escobar and Henry Cuellar sent a letter to the bank’s board in October saying, “This investment is essential to the well-being of our American municipalities and agricultural projects, and we fully support the Bank’s role in overseeing and implementing the fund to ensure these resources are allocated effectively.”
The state’s only sugar mill shut down in February in Hidalgo County because there wasn’t enough water to grow the thirsty crop, and took with it 500 jobs. Hidalgo County declared a water state of emergency and most South Texas towns in the Rio Grande Valley have implemented water conservation restrictions.
The water levels at Amistad Reservoir, near Del Rio, was only 21% on Monday, and Falcon Dam in Starr County was at 12%, according to the International Boundary and Water Commission.
The United States and Mexico earlier this month signed an amendment to the 1944 international water treaty that will allow Mexico to pay water to the Rio Grande from two river basins not previously stipulated in the treaty. Mexico owes the United States 1.75 million acre-feet of water by next October, under the treaty. But so far has only paid just over 426,000 acre-feet during this five-year cycle, the IBWC says.
(IBWC Graphic)
Cornyn says re-implementing this water fund is necessary at this time.
“I commend NADBank for reestablishing its Water Infrastructure Fund, which will improve long-term water security for municipal and agricultural communities along the Texas-Mexico border,” Cornyn said Friday. “Restoring this critical program is a significant step forward in our mission to ensure border communities have the water resources they need, and I look forward to seeing its positive impact for many years to come.”
He also advocates that additional resources come from federal and state agencies, like the USDA-Rural Development, Bureau of Reclamation, and the Texas Water Development Board to help fill “the funding gap for these water projects.”
De La Cruz on Monday called on the State Department to intervene.
“More action is needed from the State Department to secure immediate water deliveries that Mexico owes the United States. The agricultural community in South Texas continues to face severe financial hardships due to Mexico’s ongoing failure to meet its water delivery obligations, impacting the livelihoods of countless families,” she said.
Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com.
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