By Claudia Perez Rivas, Reporter
MCALLEN, Texas - The Texas Water Foundation announced the upcoming third Binational River Symposium set for Nov. 5-7 in McAllen, Texas.
The symposium will welcome guests from across the river basin. Previous events have focused on the binational treaty and opportunities to build trust; however, this year’s event will be shifting its focus to the river in 2050, state to state opportunities for collaboration, and the role of infrastructure investment as a path forward, a press release stated.
The 2025 Binational Rio Grande/Rio Bravo Symposium will highlight everything from paddling the Rio Grande to unveiling a funding opportunity for the region.
Managing Director of the North American Development Bank (NADBank) John Beckham said he commended the Texas Water Foundation for uniting leaders to address the challenge adding a few thoughts on the upcoming symposium.
“This event, centered on our shared future, strengthens collaboration and highlights strategic investments like NADBank’s Water Resiliency Fund,” Beckham said. “We look forward to sharing an important update that directly impacts the Rio Grande Valley.”
Currently, the region faces challenges relating to the U.S. federal government shutdown, water supply scarcity and historic drought conditions, which lead to the convening binational leaders even more important.
Attendees to the symposium include more than 100 stakeholders, scientists, and government officials from across the river basin, gathering together to discuss challenges and opportunities to improve water security for everyone.
“We know important conversations about the Rio Grande do not pause when difficult circumstances arise,” Sarah Schlessinger, CEO of the Texas Water Foundation said. “In fact, it becomes an even better reason to provide a platform for binational leaders to discuss challenges and find solutions together.”
Panel discussions will range from local and regional desalination, reuse, public-private partnerships, and binational salinity studies to riparian restoration and the use of produced water, the release stated. The goal of the event is to develop collaborative solutions to help communities, economies and ecosystems survive and thrive into and beyond 2050.
This year’s symposium will focus on facilitating workshop discussions and the production of a State of the Rio Grande report that reflects the experiences and opinions of the river basin.
Editor's Note: Click here to register to attend the symposium and/or view the full agenda.
