Mexico invests 20bn pesos to clean three most polluted rivers

The Mexican government announced a 20,000 million peso investment over the current six-year term to restore and clean the country's three most polluted rivers: Lerma-Santiago, Tula, and Atoyac. The plan targets long-term improvement of water quality, ecosystem health, and community well-being.

The plan

Environment Secretary Alicia Bárcena outlined a comprehensive approach combining gray infrastructure—ten new treatment plants, rehabilitation of 23 existing ones, 94 km of collectors, and control of over 450 industrial discharges—with nature-based solutions like wetlands and reforestation. The initiative also includes removing waste, combating deforestation, and collaborating with communities to prevent new contamination Source: Excelsior; Source: Infobae.

Scope and progress

The projects, numbering 93 across 10 states and 61 municipalities, aim to benefit around 25 million people Source: Heraldo. So far, authorities have identified 3,202 domestic and industrial discharges, 479 clandestine dumps, and 460 potentially polluting industries in the target basins. President Claudia Sheinbaum emphasized that work with communities to stop dumping and remove garbage is ongoing Source: Excelsior.

Mixed figures on early spending

Sources differ on the amount already spent in 2025–2026. Milenio reports 2,500 million pesos invested so far, while Heraldo gives a figure of 2,046 million pesos for the same period Source: Milenio; Source: Heraldo. The total multi-year commitment remains above 20,000 million pesos across all sources.