Baton Rouge, Louisiana (Nov. 5, 2026) – The Honorable Mary Landrieu, former U.S. Senator, will deliver the opening address at the Society for Decision Making Under Deep Uncertainty (DMDU) 2026 Annual Meeting, hosted by The Water Institute Nov. 9–12 at The Water Campus in Baton Rouge. The four-day international conference will bring together leading researchers, policymakers, planners and practitioners to explore how governments, businesses and communities can make better decisions in the face of an increasingly uncertain future.
Landrieu will address the opening plenary session Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 9 a.m., bringing her extensive experience in public policy, disaster recovery, energy and coastal protection. During her tenure representing Louisiana in the U.S. Senate from 1997 to 2015, she is credited with the passage of several important pieces of legislation, including the RESTORE Act, which directed Deepwater Horizon oil spill penalties toward Gulf Coast restoration and recovery, and the landmark GOMESA Act, which established federal offshore energy revenue sharing with Gulf Coast states, among others. She currently serves as a senior policy advisor at Van Ness Feldman, an energy and environmental law firm with offices in Washington D.C., Seattle, Houston and New Orleans.
“Louisiana understands firsthand what it means to make consequential decisions without knowing exactly what the future holds,” said Beaux Jones, President and CEO of The Water Institute. “From coastal protection and flood risk to infrastructure and economic development, we face challenges that demand both sound science and practical solutions. We're pleased to welcome the Honorable Mary Landrieu and international thought leaders as we share what we've learned here on the Gulf Coast while bringing new ideas and perspectives to the challenges we all face.”
Now in its 13th year, the DMDU Society's annual meeting focuses on developing and applying approaches that help decision makers plan for multiple possible futures rather than relying on a single prediction. The conference will feature plenary discussions and technical sessions examining applications across coastal resilience, climate adaptation, artificial intelligence, public policy, water resources, energy, infrastructure and global security.
The Water Campus, located along the Mississippi River in downtown Baton Rouge, provides a fitting setting for the gathering. Home to The Water Institute, the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority and the LSU Center for River Studies, the campus is a hub for applied research and science-informed decision making.
For more information about the 2026 DMDU conference, visit thewaterinstitute.org/dmdu-2026.
ABOUT THE WATER INSTITUTE
The Water Institute is driven by the mission to reduce the vulnerability of people, communities, ecosystems, and economies through transformative approaches to interconnected environmental and social challenges. As an independent, applied research organization, the Institute advances actionable research, technology, and planning to support science-informed decision making. The Institute serves as a thought partner, leveraging expertise in multiple disciplines and engaging across multiple sectors — government, private industry, academia, and communities. The Institute was founded in 2011 in the aftermath of devastating hurricanes and oil spills. Headquartered in Louisiana, the Institute draws on its roots in the Mississippi River Delta and the Gulf Coast, where water is both a strength and a vulnerability, to tackle challenges wherever they are. The Water Institute envisions a future where all of humanity can adapt and thrive alongside nature in a changing world. Learn more at www.thewaterinstitute.org.