The second annual San Diego Climate Week kicks off in Coronado on Oct. 1 with a Water Summit. The goal of the Water Summit, which is free and open to the public, is to find a path forward to clean up our local waters. The event will cover infrastructure, policy, public health, environmental justice and the international cooperation required for a permanent solution.
“For decades, communities on both sides of the border have lived with the consequences of a wastewater system that has failed them,” said Meg Ferrigno, a cofounder of San Diego Climate Week, in a statement. “This is not simply an environmental issue, it is a public health, economic, ocean, infrastructure and binational cooperation issue.”
The Water Summit features a panel discussion of regional experts and environmental leaders. Panelists include state Sen. Steve Padilla; Serge Dedina, executive director of Wildcoast; San Diego County Supervisor Paloma Aguirre; Bobby Wallace, a Kumeyaay tribal leader; Phillip Musegaas, executive director of San Diego Coastkeeper; and representation from Mexico.
“I think it’s important to bring together the key stakeholders in the Tijuana River issue,” Dedina said. “This is a platform to really come up with ideas on what to do to get this across the finish line.”
Although some progress has been made to address the Tijuana River sewage crisis, there is still a lot more work to be done. The crisis has been building for years with untreated wastewater and industrial runoff streaming across the border into the Tijuana River Valley and the ocean. Outdated treatment infrastructure on both sides of the border hasn’t been able to keep up with the increasing amount of pollution that has come with Tijuana’s growth.
Dedina would like to see a push to get the federal and Mexican governments to pick up the pace. He thinks getting the Punto Bandera wastewater treatment facility to operate properly is key. “It has a big impact on keeping the beaches closed,” he said of the facility.
“We have got to remind people to continue to push,” he said. “Unless we push forward, this is not going to get solved.”
A recently released San Diego County study estimates the economic impact on the region ranges from $125.6 million to $503.5 million annually. The total loss over two decades could add up to $7.9 billion, according to the study.
“As the second-most-impacted city from the cross-border sewage emergency, I am delighted that San Diego Climate Week kicks off with a Water Summit in Coronado. Community collaboration, education and action can foster real change,” said Coronado Councilmember Amy Steward.
But sewage isn’t the only problem.
San Diego Coastkeeper released a study that states industrial waste, including heavy metals, chemicals and pesticides, regularly flow into the Tijuana River.
“We need solutions that match the scale and urgency of the crisis. The Tijuana River is considered the most endangered river in the world. We must do something now for the waters and all life, these rivers must be offered rights to survive, just as we do,” said Ferrigno, who holds a doctorate in sustainability.
The Water Summit starts with a paddle out for clean water in Glorietta Bay on Thursday, Oct. 1 at 4 p.m. Local paddlers and kayakers are encouraged to join community leaders and activists making a statement in the water. (Plan ahead for limited parking.)
“We are opening our Climate Week in San Diego fashion — in the water. As ocean lovers, we are ocean protectors and we are centering the waters that shape our lives,” Ferrigno said.
The Water Summit continues at 5 p.m. on the Coronado Community Center patio with the Make Waves Fair. This is an opportunity to meet with members of local and regional nonprofits that focus on public health, binational advocacy, and coastal preservation. Beverages and light bites will be served.
The summit then moves inside to the Community Center’s Nautilus Room for the panel discussion at 6 p.m., which will be followed by breakout sessions. Small groups will discuss practical solutions and actions to help solve the cross-border crisis. The event is free, but registration is required.
The Water Summit is one of five conferences throughout San Diego County during Climate Week, which runs Oct. 1-8. A Land Summit, Fire Summit, Air Summit, and People Summit will also be held during the week. More than 150 events are scheduled for Climate Week, including a tour of the Tijuana River Estuary on Oct. 3. Also on Oct. 3, Emerald Keepers is holding a community cleanup at Tidelands Park as part of the Climate Week activities.
For more information and to register, go to sdclimateweek.com.
