The Natural, Agricultural and Structured Environments of the Lower Rio Grande Valley: A Sustainability Network for Alignment of Thought and Action on Issues

Abstract

The Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) is a patchwork of agricultural, structured and natural environments. The proportion of these environments has changed tremendously over the past 50 years and will likely continue to do so because of population growth. Population growth will stress all three environments but in different ways. As a result, there is a need for a comprehensive approach to deal with this changing landscape and maintaining its sustainability. To ignore this need will impact the quality of life in the LRGV. A step in the development of a comprehensive approach is to organize a Sustainability Network of entities interested in the future of the LRGV.