McAllen’s Mayor Praises Texas Water Foundation and Stresses Regional Cooperation on Water Security – Texas Border Business

Report on the 2025 Rio Grande / Río Bravo Binational River Symposium

Executive Summary

The 2025 Rio Grande / Río Bravo Binational River Symposium, hosted in McAllen, Texas, from November 5-7, convened over 200 stakeholders from the United States and Mexico. Organized by the Texas Water Foundation, the event focused on fostering collaborative, science-driven strategies to address shared water challenges. The symposium highlighted municipal and international efforts to advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure).

Advancing Transboundary Water Management (SDG 6 & SDG 17)

Fostering Binational Partnerships

The symposium served as a critical platform for strengthening transboundary cooperation, a key target of SDG 6.5. By bringing together diverse stakeholders, the event directly supported SDG 17, promoting a multi-stakeholder partnership to manage the vital and vulnerable Rio Grande / Río Bravo watershed. Texas Water Foundation CEO Sarah Schlessinger emphasized the importance of this collaborative approach to securing a sustainable future for the river system through 2050.

Key Collaborative Outcomes

• North American Development Bank (NADBank) Funding: An announcement was made regarding new infrastructure funding to support cross-border water resilience initiatives, directly contributing to SDG 9 and SDG 17.
• Forthcoming Publication: The Texas Water Foundation will release “The State of the Rio Grande: 2050,” a report summarizing insights and recommendations to guide future policy in line with sustainable development principles.
• Renewed Commitment: Participants renewed their commitment to collaboration, recognizing that shared water resources require shared solutions, embodying the spirit of global partnership under SDG 17.

Municipal Action for Sustainable Communities (SDG 9 & SDG 11)

McAllen’s Commitment to Resilient Infrastructure

McAllen Mayor Javier Villalobos detailed the city’s proactive measures to ensure long-term water sustainability, aligning with the objectives of SDG 11 to create resilient and sustainable communities. The city’s significant investment in its water systems is a direct contribution to SDG 9, which calls for building resilient infrastructure.

1. Infrastructure Investment: Mayor Villalobos announced an investment of over $200 million to upgrade and improve McAllen’s water infrastructure, enhancing its capacity and resilience against future water stress.
2. Innovative Water Solutions: The city is actively exploring desalination projects as a forward-thinking strategy to augment water supply and strengthen drought resilience. This focus on innovation supports SDG 9.
3. Regional Planning Approach: The proposed desalination facility is designed as a regional solution to serve McAllen and neighboring communities, including Edinburg, Pharr, and Alamo. This integrated planning approach is fundamental to achieving SDG 11 by ensuring equitable access to essential services.

Conclusion: A Model for Sustainable Development

The symposium and the initiatives presented by the City of McAllen demonstrate a comprehensive approach to water resource management that integrates local action with international cooperation. By prioritizing infrastructure investment, innovative solutions, and robust partnerships, stakeholders are actively working to achieve the targets set forth in the Sustainable Development Goals, ensuring a secure and sustainable water future for the entire U.S.-Mexico border region.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
   • The entire article revolves around water management, focusing on the challenges facing the Rio Grande / Río Bravo river system. It discusses water infrastructure, sustainability, drought resilience, and desalination projects, all of which are central to ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water.
2. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
   • The article highlights a significant investment of over $200 million to improve water infrastructure in McAllen. It also discusses the development of new technologies like desalination projects, which points to building resilient infrastructure and fostering innovation to address resource challenges.
3. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
   • The efforts described aim to ensure the “long-term sustainability for our residents” and strengthen “drought resilience.” This directly contributes to making cities like McAllen and the surrounding region more sustainable and resilient to water-related challenges and disasters.
4. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
   • The article’s central event, the “Rio Grande / Río Bravo Binational River Symposium,” is a clear example of a multi-stakeholder partnership. It brought together over 200 participants from the United States and Mexico, including government agencies, foundations (Texas Water Foundation), and communities, to foster collaboration on shared water challenges. The involvement of the North American Development Bank (NADBank) further underscores the theme of cross-border and institutional partnerships.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
   • Target 6.4: By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity. The discussion on developing desalination projects and improving infrastructure is aimed at ensuring a sustainable water supply to meet future demand and build drought resilience.
   • Target 6.5: By 2030, implement integrated water resources management at all levels, including through transboundary cooperation as appropriate. The binational symposium focusing on the shared Rio Grande / Río Bravo watershed is a direct implementation of this target, promoting cooperation between the U.S. and Mexico.
   • Target 6.a: By 2030, expand international cooperation and capacity-building support… in water- and sanitation-related activities and programmes, including water harvesting, desalination, water efficiency, wastewater treatment, recycling and reuse technologies. The focus on desalination and the announcement of new funding from the North American Development Bank (NADBank) for cross-border initiatives align with this target.
2. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
   • Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and transborder infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being. The investment of over “$200 million to improve our water infrastructure” and the plan for a regional desalination facility serving McAllen, Edinburg, Pharr, and Alamo directly address this target.
3. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
   • Target 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters. The efforts to strengthen “drought resilience” are proactive measures to mitigate the impacts of water-related disasters on the community.
4. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
   • Target 17.16: Enhance the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources. The symposium itself, organized by the Texas Water Foundation and involving stakeholders from two countries, is a model of such a partnership.
   • Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships. The collaboration between the City of McAllen (public), the Texas Water Foundation (civil society), and the North American Development Bank (financial institution) exemplifies this target.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Financial Investment:
   • The article explicitly mentions an investment of “over $200 million to improve our water infrastructure.” This serves as a direct financial indicator for progress on SDG 9 (Target 9.1) and SDG 6.
2. Development of New Infrastructure/Technology:
   • The plan to develop “desalination projects” is a tangible indicator of action towards increasing water supply and resilience (SDG 6, Target 6.4 and 6.a).
3. Partnership and Participation Metrics:
   • The symposium brought together “more than 200 stakeholders from the United States and Mexico.” This number serves as an indicator of the scale of engagement and collaboration (SDG 17, Target 17.16).
4. International Financial Flows:
   • The announcement by the “North American Development Bank (NADBank) of new infrastructure funding” is a specific indicator of international cooperation and financial support for transboundary projects (SDG 6, Target 6.a and SDG 17).
5. Knowledge Sharing and Policy Development:
   • The announcement of a “forthcoming publication, The State of the Rio Grande: 2050,” which will summarize insights and recommendations, is an indicator of knowledge sharing and strategy development aimed at long-term sustainable management (SDG 17, Target 17.16).

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: texasborderbusiness.com