U.S. - Mexico at a Glance

Border Environment Cooperation

• Agricultural and urban development along both sides of our southwestern border depends on water that flows in both directions across the border. The United States and Mexico jointly manage our shared boundary waters in the Rio Grande (Rio Bravo) and Colorado River. Our countries also share sewage-treatment plants in a number of communities along the border. This cooperation benefits the citizens of both countries.
• U.S.-Mexico Environmental Program (Border 2012) is a collaboration between the United States and Mexico to improve the environment and protect the health of the nearly 12 million people living along the border. The bi-national program focuses on cleaning the air, providing safe drinking water, reducing the risk of exposure to hazardous waste, and ensuring emergency preparedness along the U.S.-Mexico border.

• The United States and Mexico are cooperating closely on steps to reduce carbon emissions in our countries. Mexico is a leader in the Americas in establishing an interagency commission to develop a national climate change policy. Environment Minister Juan Elvira attended the Major Economies Meeting called by President Bush to discuss climate change strategies multilaterally in September 2007.

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH Activities

The United States and Mexico cooperate on a wide range of scientific research within Mexico. Research conducted by U.S. scientists requires a permit applied for by the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City on behalf of the U.S. researcher and issued by the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs (SRE). Each application is required to go through a formal approval process established by the government of Mexico. For further information, please see: http://mexico.usembassy.gov/eng/env_scientific_research.html

Some of the most important agencies involved in the evaluation process are the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), the Mexican Navy, the Secretariat of Agriculture (SAGARPA), and the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT). Among the agencies involved in the process, SEMARNAT is a key player, not only for being the only agency that participates in the technical evaluation of all research proposals, but in the designing of related policy.

The Embassy handles almost 55 applications every year from major U.S. government and academic research institutions. These represent 90% of all research applications by foreign scientists in Mexico. Activities include aerial research (atmospheric and wildlife surveys); oceanographic activities (seismic, geology, biology); marine conservation projects (sea turtles, marine mammals, etc.); and freshwater and terrestrial species (plants and animals) field research.

Furthermore, a great number of projects are also conducted under the legal framework of various U.S./Mexican agreements, or under the sponsorships of Mexican collaborators