Building bridges: Binational civil society cooperation and water-related policy problems created by Daniel Sabet

Economic and population growth in the U.S.-Mexico border region has had a negative impact on the region’s water resources. Although water-related problems along the border are binational in nature, the presence of interdependence alone might not be sufficient to overcome the considerable obstacles to binational collaboration. This study seeks to explain the presence and absence of binational civil society collaboration to address water-related problems in the U.S.-Mexico border region. To do so, the research compares levels of binational civil society collaboration in the Tijuana-San Diego, Ambos Nogales, Paso del Norte, and Los Dos Laredos areas. The study finds that while interdependence is a powerful concept, domestic political institutions create opportunities to pursue policy concerns through domestic channels. While transnational institutions exist, only the Border 2012 program currently produces binational civil society collaboration. Successful cooperation is dependent on key network actors that can bridge differences across the border.