On Wednesday, September 30, TRNERR hosted A Workshop on El Niño in a Trinational Context at the Reserve Training Center.
Building on a 2015 workshop focused on El Niño preparedness, TRNERR convened a broader trinational network of partners from the U.S., Mexico, and the Kumeyaay Nation to share lessons from past storm events, strengthen coordination, and identify next steps for the upcoming winter season. Despite the logistical and administrative challenges of hosting an in-person trinational meeting, the TRNERR team prioritized bringing partners together given the importance of cross-border collaboration ahead of potential El Niño impacts.
A series of expert presentations began, delivered both in-person and virtually. Presentation topics included Tribal community recovery and resilience during disasters, the 2026 El Niño outlook, NOAAs’ disaster preparedness program, lessons learned from previous El Niño events at the Reserve, and planning for debris-related flooding.
Workshop attendees then participated in a working session focused on strengthening cross-border coordination. Attendees were divided into groups, each addressing a different aspect of debris-related flooding. Each group completed three activities to assess existing resources and approaches, identify urgent gaps, determine capacities or protocols that could be strengthened in the future, and summarize key findings. The insights gained and relationships strengthened during the working session are now being used to identify next steps for preparedness ahead of the upcoming winter storm season.
Attendees then heard from a multi-jurisdictional panel that brought together Tribal, local, state, and cross-border perspectives. The panel discussion explored lessons learned from previous events and opportunities to strengthen debris-related flooding preparedness, coordination, and response across the Tijuana River watershed.
The workshop concluded with a summary of next steps and closing remarks from TRNERR, thanking attendees for their openness and collaborative engagement throughout the workshop. Despite running behind schedule, many attendees stayed afterward to continue conversations and build new relationships that will support preparedness efforts ahead of the upcoming winter storm season.
TRNERR viewed the workshop not as the end of the conversation, but as a building block for continued trinational coordination. The strong engagement and collaboration among attendees was an encouraging outcome, particularly given the logistical and administrative challenges of convening an in-person trinational meeting.