MCALLEN, Texas - The North American Development Bank is to allocate up to $100 million from its retained earnings over the next five years for urgent water conservation projects along the U.S.-Mexico border.

NADBank Managing Director John Beckham made the announcement at the two-day Rio Grande/Rio Bravo Binational River Symposium hosted by the Texas Water Foundation at the Embassy Suites by Hilton in McAllen.

Beckham said the grant money will be come out of the $400 million Water Resiliency Fund that the NADBank board of directors approved in August. The WRF has been set aside for priority infrastructure projects that conserve and diversify water supply sources throughout the US-Mexico border region.

Beckham said an additional $300 million in low-interest loans is also being made available through the bank’s regular loan program.

The call for projects will focus on the Rio Grande Valley initially, Beckham said, because of the dire need to conserve water in this region.

“The decision to do this project is border-wide. There is no area of the US-Mexico border region, which the bank operates in, that is not part of this project. Having said that, the Lower Rio Grande Valley on both sides of the border is extraordinarily urgent because of the conditions here, and so that is why we are starting with a call for proposals here in the Rio Grande Valley,” Beckham said, at a press conference.

Proposed projects must show clear results, such as water conservation, increase efficiency or development of new sources, NADBank said, in a press release. Examples of eligible efforts may include replacing old infrastructure, converting canals to pipelines, reusing and storing water and using technology that helps monitor and reduce water loss, the release stated.

Project applications will be received until Jan. 8, 2026.

Editor's Note: Go to the Rio Grande Guardian website to read the full story.

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