Mexico and EU will invest 693 MDD in 17 projects to clean up the Tijuana River

Alma E. Muñoz and Arturo Sánchez

La Jornada newspaper
Saturday, July 26, 2025, p. 8

With the signature of the Memorandum of Understanding to remedy the health and environmental crisis in the Tijuana River Basin, Mexico (in two years) and the United States (in 2028), 17 priority projects must conclude that, together, will represent an investment of 693 million dollars, of which 600 million correspond to the neighboring country of the North.

Until now, Mexico has completed five projects, among which the wastewater treatment plant of San Antonio de los Buenos.

“For this we require 67 million dollars – thousand 200 million pesos – and we are seeing that the United States can finance half,” said the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources, Alicia Bárcena, at the people’s conference. Meanwhile, Americans must expand the ability of their plant in San Ysidro to double.

What Antier was signed is a bilateral agreement Very important to clean up the beaches of Rosarito and San DiegoSaid President Claudia Sheinbaum.

Bárcena stressed that the signed agreement is part of the first trilateral meeting of the Mexico and Canada Environmental Cooperation Commission (CCA), which arose in 1994. We will work on fundamental issues: circular economy and exchange of experiences in remediation and restoration, especially mining areas.

There was also talk of solid waste governance and management, as well as key protection of migratory species, particularly the monarch butterfly.

On the other hand, the president indicated that, if you wish, Bárcena It could be a great secretary of the United Nations and pointed out that He is an environmentalist in every sense of word.

Joint declaration

Mexico, the United States and Canada signed a joint statement and agreed nine actions that will be focused on addressing wastewater sanitation, promoting the circular economy, improving environmental information and promoting the role of indigenous peoples.

In the 32nd Session of the CCA Council, behind closed doors, the representatives of the three countries presented their priorities and proposed new areas of cooperation for the Strategic Plan 2026-2030.

The document was signed by Secretary Bárcena, the administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Lee Zeldin, and the Deputy Deputy Deputy Minister of Environment and Climate Change of Canada, Michael Bonser, whom the head of Semarnat delivered a cane to transfer the presidency of the CCA Council.