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Hola, welcome to Climate at the Border! We’re here to help you cover the most pressing climate issues in the region. In each edition, we’ll bring you what you need to know to get started and make recommendations for localizing, humanizing, and reporting solutions on the topic.
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What You Need to Know
- Globally: Cities around the world struggle to keep up with intensifying extreme weather. Aging infrastructure wasn’t built for today’s climate extremes, and while some have invested in flood barriers and resilient energy systems, funding gaps and rapid urban growth leave many vulnerable. When disasters strike, weakness in emergency response and infrastructure hit low-income and marginalized communities hardest.
- At the Border: The stakes are even higher here. Border cities like Tijuana, Nogales, and El Paso, face extreme weather and chronic underinvestment in infrastructure. Poor drainage systems worsen floods, while heatwaves strain fragile power grids, causing blackouts and water shortages. Coordination between the US and Mexico on climate adaptation is often fragmented, with differing policies and emergency response strategies, and with potential shifts under the Trump administration, its future remains uncertain.
- Migration: Flooding, heatwaves, and resource shortages strain already overburdened infrastructure in cities that serve as key transit for migrants. Extreme heat poses serious health risks for those crossing on foot, while flooding can make already precarious shelters unlivable. Weak infrastructure and blackouts disrupt essential services for local residents and newly arrived migrants. Without better cross-border coordination, climate pressures can deepen humanitarian challenges in the region.
Localize: Infrastructures Along the Border
Key Reporting Angles
- How well can border cities withstand worsening climate extremes with outdated and fragile infrastructure?
- Which areas are most vulnerable to flooding in cities like Tijuana or El Paso?
- Are the US and Mexico working together to prepare? Where are the gaps in the coordination?
Stories to Inspire Your Coverage
- Flooding, ‘hundred year’ storm prompts disaster declarations in South Texas by Dina Arévalo, My San Antonio
- Las olas de calor impactan en los sistemas de electricidad en México y estos son los riesgos, según los estudios by Diego Durán, Infobae
Ask an Expert
- Raúl Asís Monforte González, Civil Engineer with a Master’s in Landscape Architecture and Renewable Energy. Yucatán, México.
- Sam Brody, Professor Marine and Coastal Environmental Science at Texas A&M, studies coastal environmental planning and flood and hazard mitigation.
Humanize: Who Is Most Affected?
Talk to the Communities on the Frontlines
- Migrants and low-income residents often live in overcrowded shelters or makeshift housing with little protection from floods, heatwaves, and power outages. How are they coping as climate risks worsen?
- Indigenous groups and rural residents lack access to reliable water, electricity, and emergency services. How are they adapting — or being left behind?
- Elderly and medically vulnerable populations struggle to access cooling centers during extreme heat or medical care during climate-related disruptions. Power outages can be life-threatening for them.
Stories to Inspire Your Coverage
- The world’s power grids are failing as the climate warms by Eamon Farhat, Misha Savic, Fiona Mcdonald, and Mark Chediak, Bloomberg
- At least 4 dead after severe storms in the South Texas Mexico border region and hundreds rescued by Valerie González and Juan A. Lozano, AP
- The Tohono O’Odham Himdag: Challenging the climate science view on indigenous climate impacts by Mary Cathleen Wilson, Native Climate
Ask an Expert
- Julia Neusner, a researcher with the International Refugee Assistance Project, has investigated the intersection of climate change and migration at the US-Mexico border.
- Margaret Wilder, an associate professor at the University of Arizona, specializes in environmental policies and the impacts on climate change on border communities.
Solutions: What Are the Fixes?
Highlight What’s Working and What’s Not
- What investments have been made to strengthen drainage systems, power grids, and water supplies? Which cities are prioritizing climate resilience and where are the biggest funding gaps?
- How well are the US and Mexico working together on emergency preparedness and infrastructure adaptation? Where do political and logistical barriers hinder cooperation?
- How are local communities, businesses, and advocacy groups responding when governments fall short?
Stories to Inspire Your Coverage
- USIBWC discusses Amistad Dam safety, hydrology and ongoing water mitigation by David Gomez Jr., Laredo Morning Times
- Presidio breaks ground on solar-powered cooling center with $12.7M EPA Grant by Big Bend Times
Ask an Expert:
- Maria Carmen Lemos, professor at the University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability, has researched the environmental vulnerabilities of border populations.
- Carlos de la Parra, PhD Environmental Planning, is a professor at el Colegio de la Frontera Norte in the Department of Urban Studies and Environment.
What’s Next?
- Have an infrastructures story from the border? We’d love to amplify it. You can send it here: editors@coveringclimatenow.org.
- Want more on climate? Sign up for our other newsletters.
- Any questions? Send them to training@coveringclimatenow.org.
Nos vemos pronto, see you in soon!
– CCNow’s Climate at the Border team
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