Mexico-US initiative seeks to standardise water quality data as contaminated river threatens both nations

Academics, officials, researchers and businessmen from both sides of the US-Mexico border took part in discussions about water issues at CETYS University’s Tijuana campus as a relatively new NGO announced the launch of a standardised, cross-border platform for sharing water quality data.

The project was unveiled during a symposium co-organised by the Permanent Forum for Binational Waters, whose research focuses on the heavily polluted Tijuana River.

Rosario Sánchez, the forum’s director, explained the initiative aims to bridge a critical information gap between the two countries.

“We have information in the United States, we have information in Mexico, but when we put them together it’s like trying to join two different jigsaw puzzles,” Ms Sánchez told reporters.

The Tijuana River, which flows from Mexico into San Diego County, has been identified by American Rivers as one of the most polluted waterways in the United States, creating diplomatic tensions and health concerns.

The platform seeks to address incompatible data systems that hamper effective water management decisions.

“The greater the information, the higher the quality of that information, the better the decisions,” Sánchez said.

Mónica López Sieben, director of CETYS University’s Graduate School of Administration, acknowledged that businesses and the public lack sufficient environmental awareness.

“Progress is being made, but we’re still not conscious enough. Much advancement comes from legal pressure, but we need to move to a phase where it’s more awareness,” she said.

Sánchez an academic reasercher, noted a historical disconnect between academic research and government decision-making but believes current conditions favour such initiatives due to the crisis’s gravity.

“Without reliable information and data, it’s very risky for the public sector not to base decisions on reliable information,” she warned.

The platform aims to democratise information access beyond scientists and policymakers. “We are all responsible for the problem,” added.

The project, initially funded by the San Diego Foundation, plans to expand across all shared US-Mexico watersheds from Brownsville, Texas, to Tijuana.

This story was written with the assistance of AI tools. Final editing was completed by the Tijuanapress team.