Working Toward Sustainable Water and Wastewater Infrastructure in the US‐Mexico Border Region: A Perspective on BECC and NADBank

In 1994, the US and Mexican governments created the Border Environment Cooperation Commission (BECC) and the North American Development Bank (NADBank) to promote water and wastewater projects in the US-Mexico border region. Development assistance by these organizations is innovative because of its focus on locally controlled, debt-financed and user-fee-supported projects developed with public participation. Between 1994 and 2000, BECC and NADBank helped develop border infrastructure via BECC's project certification efforts and NADBank's financing packages. Other aid included BECC's technical assistance for project development and NADBank's capacity-strengthening for utilities.