SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The North American Development Bank has approved up to $400 million in financing for priority infrastructure projects aimed at conserving and diversifying water supply sources in the U.S.-Mexico border region.
The new program is called the Water Resiliency Fund (WRF). It was announced at a press conference held during the NADBank 2025 Summit.
“We’ve worked in close collaboration with our Board members and actively engaged officials from border states in both the United States and Mexico, along with local communities, irrigation districts, and other key stakeholders to establish the new Water Resiliency Fund,” said NADBank Managing Director John Beckham. “This initiative is designed to catalyze investment in strategic infrastructure that improves the region’s water resilience through more efficient usage and diversification of sources, all of which will bolster our ability to withstand droughts and extreme weather events.”
Beckham said through the WRF, NADBank will allocate up to US$100 million from retained earnings over the next five years to provide concessional financing, along with US$300 million in low-interest loans from its loan program. He said NADBank may also complement these instruments with market-rate financing to further expand the reach and impact of available resources.
Joining Beckham for the announcement of the new program was U.S. Congressman Tony Gonzales, representing Texas's 23rd District; Raul Quiroga Alvarez, Tamaulipas Secretary of Water Resources for Social Development; Mario Mata Carrasco, Executive Director of the Chihuahua State Water and Wastewater Board (JCAS); Ana Garcia, South Texas district director for U.S. Senator John Cornyn's office, as well as irrigation district managers from South Texas.
"It is my unique privilege to represent nearly half of the U.S.-Mexico border in Congress. From El Paso to Del Rio and Eagle Pass, and from San Antonio to Presidio, the 23rd District of Texas is home to many communities that are key to binational trade. What happens in these places has global implications, and that's why it's critical to have forward-thinking investments in our infrastructure along the border. The North American Development Bank has been an excellent partner in making that goal a reality, and this week's announcement is more evidence of that investing in that commitment for stronger, more resilient border communities,” said Congressman Gonzales.
Quiroga said: “The Water Resiliency Fund is an instrument that will allow us to implement water infrastructure projects on both sides of the border, which will undoubtedly help achieve more efficient water use, particularly among major users such as irrigation districts and municipal water systems, which will support efforts to address the deficit we have in the Rio Grande Basin.”
Quiroga added: “I must note that, under the directive of Dr. Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, President of Mexico, a commitment has been made to invest MX$7.164 billion to benefit border irrigation districts 025 Bajo Río Bravo and 026 Bajo Río San Juan. Combined with NADBank's Water Resiliency Fund, this investment is expected to generate a significant positive impact on this critical binational basin.”
In a statement, Sen. Cornyn said: “NADBank’s approval of the Water Resiliency Fund is great news for our border communities and agriculture industry, which heavily relies on accessible and reliable water,” said U.S. Sen. John Cornyn. “Last year, I led my Texas congressional colleagues in a letter to the NADBank Board urging them to authorize this funding to improve long-term water security, strengthen conservation and diversification infrastructure for municipalities, and provide much-needed relief for farmers and ranchers in the Rio Grande Valley, and I thank NADBank leadership for working with us on this critical effort.”
Representing Sen. Cornyn, South Texas district director Garcia read aloud a letter of support.
Mario Mata is executive director of Chihuahua State Water and Wastewater Board. Mata said:
“The Government of Chihuahua supports this Water Resiliency Fund promoted by NADBank, as it is certainly one of the best financing strategies for the water infrastructure needed on both sides of the U.S.–Mexico border. We share the same desert and the same extraordinary drought conditions we have been enduring. Through instruments such as this one, we can strengthen planning and coordination of binational actions in support of the human right to water, food production, and environmental betterment in the border region, where most of our State of Chihuahua is located and plays a relevant role.”
Editor's Note: Here is a video recording of the press conference:
