U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet 2006-3054

April 2006

Interdisciplinary Science in Support of Environmental 

Health along the United States–Mexico Border 

Using Map Tools to Understand Linkages between the Physical Environment and Human Health

Printed on recycled paper

Figure 1. The USGS Border Environmental Health Initiative (BEHI) 

encompasses the entire United States–Mexico border region, an 

area defined as 161,000 square miles; it is partitioned into eight 

subregions based on watersheds as delineated by Woodward and 

Durall (1996). 

The diverse, fragile ecosystems of the borderlands have 

been pushed beyond sustainable levels due to rapid population 

growth and land-use changes. Water shortages and pollution, 

poor air quality, increased soil salinities, residual pesticides, 

and heavy metal contaminants are some of the many stressors 

that are degrading the quality of life in the borderlands. The 

relationship between human health and environmental quality 

challenges public officials, medical professionals, and resource 

managers on both sides of the border in their efforts to provide 

for and maintain healthy communities. To help understand the 

relationship between environmental and human health, the U.S. 

Geological Survey’s (USGS) Border Environmental Health 

Initiative (BEHI) created an Internet Map Service (IMS) with 

binational georeferenced data (fig. 1). The goal is to have seamless integration of borderwide datasets at regional and local 

scales that can lend understanding of the linkages between the 

condition of the physical environment and public health issues.

Collaborative Partnerships

An interdisciplinary USGS team identifies biologic, 

geologic, hydrologic, environmental, public health, and 

demographic datasets for incorporation into the binational 

IMS. This team works in collaboration with other Federal, 

State, and local agencies, including non-governmental entities 

and universities in both the United States and Mexico. Project 

success and the reliability of the binational scientific databases 

are dependent on these mutually beneficial partnerships.

Examples of cooperative partnerships that utilize our 

scientific data and research include:

Environmental Protection Agency/Secretaría de Medio 

Ambiente y Recursos Naturales 

The Border 2012 Environmental Health Indicators 

Working Group focuses on developing metrics to measure 

changes in human health as a result of improvements to 

sanitation, air and water quality in the border region. The 

USGS is cooperating with this group to develop a binational 

water quality geodatabase for the region and to use geospatial 

data for reporting environmental activities.

Natural Heritage Institute, University of Texas, and 

Instituto Mexicano de Tecnología del Agua 

Through the Rio Grande Physical Assessment Project, the 

USGS is collaborating with United States and Mexican partners to build a water resources database as the foundation of an 

advanced hydrologic planning model of the entire Rio Grande 

basin. The USGS is verifying binational land-use and surfaceand ground-water data, and validating model results.

Southwest Consortium of Environmental Resources 

Program (SCERP) 

The USGS is partnering with SCERP to further our 

respective missions and to enhance interaction and cooperation 

on border research and policy programs. The first joint activity 

was to co-host a binational GIS summit in April 2006.

Housing and Urban Development ‘Colonia’ Database 

This project is providing the necessary baseline data 

to identify the need for Federal aid to improve the living 

conditions for residents of the many unincorporated settlements, known as ‘colonias,’ found along the border. In 

conjunction with partners, the USGS is providing geographic 

and demographic data to facilitate prioritization of community 

development and infrastructure investment.

Find the Border Environmental Health Initiative 

Internet Map Service at 

http://borderhealth.cr.usgs.gov/

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Data Assimilation 

and Integration

USGS scientists strive 

to preserve the accuracy and 

associated attributes of the data 

during production of the IMS. 

Rigorous efforts have been 

made to seamlessly integrate 

United States and Mexican 

geospatial datasets along 

common themes to analyze 

environmental issues relative to 

human health. The procedures 

are documented in Federal 

Geographic Data Committeecompliant metadata files and 

in procedural papers that 

define the differences in scale, 

scope, definition of terms, and 

methods of data collection 

between the two countries.

For more information, contact:

Jim Stefanov–Water Resources 

jestefan@usgs.gov

Diana Papoulias–Biology

dpapoulias@usgs.gov

Collaborative Opportunities

An anticipated outcome of this project is an increased 

opportunity to collaborate with scientific researchers in the 

public health, natural resources, and environmental protection 

fields to apply the BEHI datasets and the IMS to address 

specific public and environmental health issues. The vision of 

the USGS is that such collaborations could ultimately expand 

the breadth and depth of the datasets available and allow more 

sophisticated analysis of border health issues, ultimately leading 

to a healthier border environment. 

Web Site Features

Maps and Data – The IMS provides users with binational 

datasets and the tools to manipulate them over the Internet 

using a browser. The interface allows users to zoom to areas 

of interest and select a combination of layers appropriate to 

their focus. Users can select an initial view of the entire border 

region or a particular subregion, and use the tools available to 

customize their view.

Data Layers – Data layers are grouped under the major 

themes of anthropology, hydrology, transportation, biology, 

geology, imagery, elevation, land use, and infectious disease. 

The numerous data layers within these themes are detailed 

with a description, metadata, and minimum and maximum 

viewable extents. By means of the web mapping service 

protocols, users may incorporate available layers into their 

own geospatial analyses. 

Static Map Library – This feature provides users with 

ready-made maps of common views and themes. The maps 

can be easily integrated into custom presentations.

Data Tables – Additional information about the specific 

data used in the layers is provided in tabular form. 

Accomplishments to Date

Methods for building binational geospatial data and 

constructing integrated databases were developed during the 

BEHI pilot phase for the Lower Rio Grande Valley (Subregion 

8), which extends from Falcon Reservoir to the lower part of the 

Laguna Madre, Texas. The IMS for this data-rich area includes 

remotely sensed imagery, anthropogenic, and environmental 

datasets at a large scale (1:24,000). A similar suite of datasets 

at equivalent scales are being integrated for all subregions 

beginning with Subregion 7, which extends along the Rio 

Grande from Amistad Reservoir to Falcon Reservoir. 

Applying similar methodology borderwide, regional 

datasets at medium- (1:250,000 scale) and low-resolution 

(1:2M scale) have been integrated to form the basic geospatial 

framework and are displayed in the IMS. These borderwide 

datasets provide the platform upon which the comprehensive and 

subregion-specific datasets will subsequently be overlaid, and 

also assure compatibility at temporal and spatial scales (fig. 2). 

Jean Parcher–Geography

jwparcher@usgs.gov

Ric Page–Geology

rpage@usgs.gov Woodward, D., and Durall, R., 1996, United States–Mexico border area, as 

delineated by a shared-water resources perspective: U.S. Department of 

Interior United States–Mexico Border Field Coordinating Committee Fact 

Sheet, February 1996.

Figure 2. The United States–Mexico Border 

Environmental Health Initiative project datasets 

shown at various resolutions. A, Binational 

transportation, hydrography, land-use data, and 

land-cover data integrated from USGS and Instituto 

Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática 

(INEGI) sources. B, 2004 digital orthophoto with 

locations showing potential sources of contamination 

(PSOCs) in El Paso and Ciudad Juárez. 0

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EXPLANATION

LAND COVER & USE PSOC

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B