Merging sustainable development with wastewater infrastructure improvement on the U.S.-Mexico border

Abstract

Sustainability has emerged as an important new qualification for environmental infrastructure projects, particularly on the fast-growing and environmentally undeserved U.S.-Mexico border. The Border Environment Cooperation Commission (BECC) and the North American Development Bank (NADBank), respectively charged with approving and financing environment projects on the border, have determined six principle areas in which sustainability plays a role: natural resource management, technical efficiency, natural resource preservation, environmental protection, benefits to low-income residents, and community participation. The Naco Constructed-Wetlands/Microenterprise Proposal (NACWEMP), which would build a demonstration-scale constructed wetland for wastewater treatment and train community members in three associated microenterprise projects, creatively demonstrates how principles of sustainable development are expressed in actual project implementation.