BATON ROUGE, La. – The Water Institute of the Gulf signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Monday evening which sets out the framework for cooperation with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme for future work.
With a mutual interest in environmental protection and bolstering efforts to build resilient communities, the MOU outlines an agreement to exchange information, numerical modeling, decision support, and planning. The agreement also sets out the intent to share information about monitoring and assessment work with an ultimate goal of developing a partnership that helps share knowledge and skills to support the work of both organizations.
Areas of common interest include ecosystem-based adaptation, climate change, sea level rise, coastal planning, ecosystem restoration, coastal geomorphology, water resource management, and the protection of the environment and infrastructure of coastal areas.
“One of our primary motivations at The Water Institute is to take what we have learned in coastal Louisiana and apply it in other regions, working globally to form partnerships and gain insights by studying other coastal systems to benefit our work at home,” said Charles Groat, president and CEO the Water Institute of the Gulf. “This MOU is action oriented and it is going to lead to some real cooperation and projects in the near term.”
"In the last couple of days of discussion with the Institute, we have found a number of similarities in our goals and desired outcomes for our communities," said Kosi Latu, director general, Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme. "We look forward to our future cooperation with the Institute for the benefit of both organizations."
About The Water Institute of the Gulf
The Water Institute of the Gulf is a not-for-profit, independent research institute dedicated to advancing the understanding of coastal, deltaic, river and water resource systems, both within the Gulf Coast and around the world. This mission supports the practical application of innovative science and engineering, providing solutions that benefit society. For more information, visit www.thewaterinstitute.org.
About Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme
SPREP is a regional, intergovernmental organization comprising 26 members consisting of 21 Pacific Island Countries and Territories and five developed countries with direct interests in the Pacific region. SPREP’s purpose is to promote cooperation in the Pacific region, provide assistance in order to protect and improve its environment, and to ensure sustainable development for present and future generations.