For decades, the Tijuana River has carried untreated sewage, industrial runoff, and stormwater across the U.S.-Mexico border — contaminating San Diego's coastline, closing beaches, and generating compounding public health consequences for communities on both sides.
This program examines how transboundary environmental crises expose gaps in binational governance, interagency coordination, and the policy frameworks that connect infrastructure investment to durable public health outcomes.
Drawing on San Diego's position as a binational hub with direct relationships across research institutions, civil society, and subnational diplomatic channels, we develop practical strategies that strengthen cross-border governance, improve community-level response, and inform state and federal policy.
Program includes:
Assessing public health impacts and surveillance gaps in affected coastal and border communities
Improving interagency coordination across federal, state, local, and Mexican counterpart institutions
Developing policy frameworks that connect infrastructure investment to long-term binational governance reform
Tijuana River Public Health Crisis
Undersea Strategy
The undersea domain — spanning submarine cables carrying the vast majority of global data traffic, critical seabed infrastructure, and the operating environment for naval competition — has become one of the most contested and least governed spaces in the Indo-Pacific.
This program examines how strategic competition, economic interdependence, and emerging technology are reshaping the undersea domain across the Pacific, from the cable networks connecting global commerce to the seabed sovereignty disputes redefining maritime boundaries.
Drawing on San Diego's deep naval and research ecosystem, we develop practical strategies that strengthen undersea domain awareness, inform allied governance frameworks, and connect infrastructure vulnerability to broader Indo-Pacific security architecture.
Program includes:
Assessing the strategic vulnerability of undersea cable networks and critical seabed infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific
Examining seabed sovereignty disputes and their implications for maritime governance in Pacific Latin America and beyond
Developing policy frameworks that integrate undersea domain awareness into allied deterrence and interoperability strategies
Invest in leadership.
San Diego’s industry and research leaders are shaping the Pacific’s future — from defense and technology to health and sustainability.
The La Jolla Center provides a platform for those leaders to turn expertise into lasting impact.
By investing in strategy, partners demonstrate leadership where it counts most — helping societies align innovation, security, and prosperity across the Pacific Hemisphere.
Help show the world what leadership looks like.
→ Partner with Us
→ Sponsor a Program
By submitting this form you agree to our Privacy Policy.