FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 11, 2026
Contact: press@thedialogue.org
As prolonged drought and increasing demands on shared water resources place growing strain on communities, ecosystems, and economic activity along the U.S.-Mexico border, the Inter-American Dialogue’s Mexico Program has launched the U.S.-Mexico Water Task Force, a binational, nonpartisan initiative focused on advancing practical solutions for water management and cooperation between the two countries.
The Task Force is convened by the Dialogue’s Mexico Program in collaboration with the North American Development Bank (NADBank), the Baker Institute’s Claudio X. González Center for the U.S. and Mexico, the Permanent Forum of Binational Waters, and the Texas Water Resources Institute. Together, these institutions have formed a multidisciplinary coalition that combines expertise in water policy, infrastructure, science, and cross-border governance. This initiative will serve as a forum for technical and policy dialogue to develop actionable recommendations in four key areas: improving shared information and data systems for water resource management; ensuring more reliable and predictable water deliveries during periods of extraordinary drought; advancing a shared vision for basin management; and creating incentives to encourage water conservation, efficient use, and reliable deliveries.
“The mounting pressures on shared U.S.-Mexico water basins are becoming increasingly interconnected, requiring coordinated action that is both technically sound and jointly developed,” said Lila Abed, director of the Mexico Program at the Inter-American Dialogue. “The U.S.-Mexico Water Task Force provides a forum for multidisciplinary experts from both countries to identify practical, evidence-based solutions that can strengthen water governance, improve bilateral cooperation, and help border communities build greater resilience.”
“Water is increasingly central to economic security, public health, and the long-term stability of the U.S.-Mexico relationship,” said Dr. Rebecca Bill Chavez, president and CEO of the Inter-American Dialogue. “This Task Force brings together the people who understand the basins, the infrastructure, and the politics on both sides of the border, so we can turn a shared challenge into a shared plan.”
About the Inter-American Dialogue
Founded in 1982, the Inter-American Dialogue is the premier center for policy analysis, exchange, and communication on issues affecting the Western Hemisphere. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with a network of experts and fellows across the Americas, the Dialogue convenes global leaders, policymakers, business executives, academics, and civil society to advance democratic resilience, shared prosperity, social inclusion, and sustainable development throughout the region.
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