Mexico City, Mexico — Mexico and the U.S. signed agreement to address the Tijuana-San Diego border sanitation issue. According to the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, the agreement advances comprehensive border sanitation efforts in the Tijuana-San Diego region.
The actions will significantly reduce discharges of untreated wastewater and sediment into the Tijuana River and the Pacific Ocean, benefiting the environment and the health of the border population.
On December 15, 2025, through Minute 333 of the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC), entitled “Comprehensive Actions to Address the Border Sanitation Problem in Tijuana, Baja California – San Diego, California,” both governments formalized a clear roadmap for binational collaboration to address this long-standing problem in a comprehensive, structural and long-term manner.
The Minute was signed in the city of Tijuana and received the approval of both governments, and has therefore entered into force.
This agreement establishes a set of technical, financial and governance actions to implement specific sanitation projects in Tijuana, including new sediment treatment and control infrastructure, which will have a positive impact on public health, the environment and the beaches of Tijuana and San Diego.
It also establishes long-term water management planning for the area through a master plan and comprehensive technical studies that will allow for anticipating urban growth and preventing future crises.
In the agreement, the United States will assume financial co-responsibility, through the North American Development Bank (NADB), to ensure the operation and maintenance of the infrastructure on the Mexican side and prevent its deterioration over time.
This new framework reaffirms that the solution to border sanitation does not fall on a single country, but is a shared responsibility.
This agreement continues the Memorandum of Understanding signed on July 24, 2025 in Mexico City, between the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources of Mexico, Alicia Bárcena Ibarra, and the Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Lee Zeldin, strengthening the framework of technical and institutional cooperation between both countries.
Mexico reaffirms its commitment to working with the United States, within a framework of cooperation and mutual respect, to advance lasting solutions that contribute to the well-being of border communities and the strengthening of the bilateral relationship.
Riviera Maya News serving Quintana Roo Mexico since 2014
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