The Water Institute has been selected by the Society for Decision Making Under Deep Uncertainty (DMDU) to host its 2026 Annual Meeting, Nov. 9-12, 2026, at The Water Campus in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Announced at the Society’s 2025 Annual Meeting in London, the 2026 conference will bring together leading international policy makers, analysts, researchers, planners, academics, and students dedicated to advancing decision-making tools and approaches in a rapidly changing world.
“On behalf of the people of Louisiana, I’m honored to welcome the Society for Decision Making Under Deep Uncertainty to our great state and our capital city of Baton Rouge,” said Louisiana Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. “Here in Louisiana, water and natural disasters have shaped not just our landscape, but our character. Our people meet these challenges with determination, innovation, and a spirit that refuses to quit. That lived experience has made Louisiana a place that doesn’t just endure uncertainty — we learn from it, and we lead because of it. We’re proud to host this global gathering and share the resilience, creativity, and lessons Louisiana has to offer with the world.”
DMDU leadership noted that The Water Institute was selected to host because of its strong alignment with the Society’s mission and the strength of The Water Campus and Louisiana as a setting. The Water Campus, a collaborative research campus devoted to the study of coastal restoration and sustainability, provides a unique opportunity for the DMDU community to connect in a hub of the applied and policy work being done in Louisiana around resilience and decision-making.
“The Water Institute is proud to host the DMDU Society’s Annual Meeting in 2026. Welcoming this international community to Baton Rouge is a powerful recognition of the work happening in Louisiana and the Gulf Coast. We look forward to sharing our experience, learning from global leaders, and advancing solutions to help communities navigate uncertainty,” said Beaux Jones, President and CEO of The Water Institute, an independent non-profit organization founded in the wake of devastating hurricanes and oil spills to help reduce the vulnerability of people, ecosystems, and economies.
Located along the Mississippi River in downtown Baton Rouge, the Water Campus is home to The Water Institute, the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, and the Louisiana State University Center for River Studies.
Additional details about the 2026 DMDU Society’s annual meeting—including registration timelines, lodging information, and the call for abstracts—are available here.
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.