“We are pleased with the direction of the institutions and see them having a substantial impact on infrastructure in the border region, as evidenced by the growth of the project portfolio in recent years” stated Karen Mathiasen, Director of the Office of Multilateral Development Banks at U.S. Treasury and current chair of the NADB-BECC Board of Directors. “The new projects reviewed by the Board today will further enhance environmental infrastructure, particularly in the area of air quality through street paving in border communities” added Mathiasen.

The projects under consideration by the Board of Directors include a US$162 million loan for the State of Sonora for a project that consists of paving up to 5 million square meters of currently unpaved roadways throughout 56 municipalities in the state, which will help improve air quality in the regional air basin shared with Arizona. Also under review is additional funding for the ongoing road rehabilitation project in Tijuana, Baja California. This project, with a total cost of US$125 million, will rehabilitate 17 primary roadways, or approximately 4.3 million square meters of roadways throughout the city of Tijuana.

“Air quality improvement has become an important part of the two institutions’ work, and is an area in which significant gains are made in terms of enhancing the quality of life for residents of our border communities” stated Ricardo Ochoa, Head of the International Affairs Unit at Mexico’s Ministry of Finance and Public Credit.

The Board also welcomed a proposal for a new grant facility at NADB to be funded through the Bank’s retained earnings. The objective of the new grant facility will be to enhance the affordability of critical projects for low-income communities in the border region.

In its 15 years of operation, BECC has certified 171 environmental infrastructure projects along the U.S.-Mexico border, which represent a total investment of approximately US$3.65 billion. NADB is providing approximately US$1.16 billion in loans and grants to support 141 of those projects. BECC-certified and NADB-financed projects are estimated to be benefiting almost 13 million residents of the U.S.-Mexico border region through improved infrastructure for a cleaner environment.

Today’s Board meeting also marked the last meeting at which the institutions’ executive leaders—Jorge C. Garcés at the NADB, and Daniel Chacón Anaya at the BECC—will preside, as their appointed terms are set to expire in October of this year. The charter that governs the BECC and NADB limits the directorship at both agencies to five years.

The Board expressed its gratitude to both Jorge and Daniel for their dedication and leadership during their tenures at NADB and BECC. Under their direction, NADB and BECC evolved into effective and well-respected institutions. “Thanks to the stewardship of Daniel and Jorge, these institutions are having a positive impact on the U.S.-Mexico border region” said Mathiasen and Ochoa.

BECC is an international organization established by the governments of the United States and Mexico that works to preserve, protect and enhance human health and the environment of the U.S.-Mexico border region, by strengthening cooperation among interested parties and supporting sustainable projects through a transparent binational process in close coordination with NADB, federal, state and local agencies, the private sector and civil society.

NADB is a financial institution established and capitalized in equal parts by the United States and Mexico for the purpose of financing environmental infrastructure projects along their common border. As a pioneer institution in its field, the Bank works to develop integrated, sustainable and fiscally responsible projects with broad community support in a framework of close cooperation and coordination between Mexico and the United States.

Contact:
Juan Antonio Flores, North American Development Bank, (210) 231-8000, jaflores@nadb.org 
Gonzalo Bravo, Border Environment Cooperation Commission, (011 52 656) 688-4600 gbravo@cocef.org