67 pages. A thesis presented to the Latin American Studies Program and the Clark Honors College of the University of Oregon in partial fulfillment of the requirements for degree of Bachelor of Science, Spring 2016.The Rio Grande de Santiago-colloquially known as the Rio Santiago-has
become one of the most polluted rivers in North America. The river, which spans more
than 430 kilometers, directly borders numerous towns whose citizens have been
afflicted with several pollution related health issues. Much of the pollution stems from
the industrial center of Guadalajara where over a hundred corporations, many of which
are international, set up plants and factories in the wake of NAFTA. Although the extent
of the pollution and its repercussions for public health have been known for some time,
the Mexican government has been slow make meaningful action towards preventing the
pollution. This study performs a qualitative analysis on the economics of pollution in
the Rio Santiago, employing a systematic review of relevant literature in order to
explore the culpability ofNAFTA in promoting pollution, the mechanisms which
encourage environmentally unsustainable behavior, as well as the sources and long-run
economic effects of the pollution
