Some 100 scientists and academics from around the world are meeting in Monterrey, Mexico this week to study the challenges of managing water resources along the borders of 50 countries. The participants in the International Symposium on Trans-Border Water Management are working to draft a list of recommendations for the management of watersheds and rivers located in frontier areas.

Also to be discussed are “hydrology and climate studies on droughts and which propose criteria and methodologies to improve joint management of water resources,” according to the Mexican Environment Secretariat, which is hosting the event.

One of the central themes of the Symposium is the case of the Rio Grande (known as Rio Bravo south of the border), which separates the United States and Mexico, and which is the source of contention related to water distribution rights.