Texas Border Business
Texas Border Business
McAllen, Texas – The third Binational River Symposium is set to convene on November 5–7 in McAllen, Texas, and will welcome guests from across the river basin. While previous events focused on the binational treaty and opportunities to build trust, this year’s event shifts to the river in 2050, state-to-state collaboration, and the role of infrastructure investment as a path forward.
From paddling the Rio Grande to unveiling a pivotal funding opportunity for the region, the 2025 Binational Rio Grande/Rio Bravo River Symposium will be as unique as the river itself.
“As water levels continue to decline across the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo watershed, I commend the Texas Water Foundation for uniting leaders to address this critical challenge,” said John Beckham, Managing Director of the North American Development Bank (NADBank). “This event, centered on our shared future, strengthens collaboration and highlights strategic investments like NADBank’s Water Resiliency Fund. We look forward to sharing an important update that directly impacts the Rio Grande Valley.”
As the region faces challenges related to the U.S. federal shutdown, water scarcity, and historic drought, convening binational leaders becomes even more important. More than 100 stakeholders, scientists, and government officials from across the river basin will gather to discuss challenges and opportunities to improve water security for all.
“We know important conversations about the Rio Grande do not pause when difficult circumstances arise,” said Sarah Schlessinger, CEO of the Texas Water Foundation, which is hosting the symposium. “In fact, it becomes an even better reason to provide a platform for binational leaders to discuss challenges and find solutions together.”
The 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 shared goal is to develop collaborative solutions to help communities, economies, and ecosystems survive and thrive into and beyond 2050.
Continuing in the spirit of advancing trust and collaboration through science, this year’s symposium is focused on facilitating workshop discussions and producing a State of the Rio Grande report that reflects the experiences and opinions of the river basin.
Please visit the symposium web page to view the full agenda and register to attend. For press inquiries, please reach out to Adeline Fox at adeline@texaswater.org.
Texas Water Foundation is a nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) nonprofit working to lead Texas into a sustainable water future. Established in 1998, its original objective was to raise public awareness among all Texans regarding the vital role water plays in our daily lives. Today, the Foundation’s vision has grown to include investing in the next generation of water leaders, equipping informed decision makers, and inspiring water advocates across Texas.
