Institute for Water Resources

ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA. Civil and Mechanical Engineering Cadets from the U.S. Military Academy (West Point) gathered at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Headquarters on July 30 as part of a larger five-day program across the east coast to expose them to the USACE mission. The cadets were provided an opportunity to learn about the key components of the USACE’s Military and Civil Works Programs. One of the objectives of the visit was to provide an overview on the wide range of subjects related to executing the USACE mission and serving its customers. The Institute for Water Resources (IWR) was invited to participate in the Washington D.C. morning session to cover subjects in U.S. Water Resources Development, USACE Planning Activities, and Public Participation and Collaboration. Dr. Joe Manous, IWR Director, gave an insightful perspective of the Nation’s needs related to water resources and how the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has and continues to support those requirements. His discussion covered water uses, the Federal role, the evolution of environmental policies, and 20th century water resources investments. The presentations emphasized the importance of economic development as the driving factor in shaping U.S. water resources development since the founding of the United States. This interactive discussion provided the cadets a strategic context from which to view the important work the USACE is doing today.

ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA. The USACE and the Japan Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism (MLIT) held a series of technical exchange meetings and site visits in May of this year. This was the thirteenth exchange between the two organizations and this year’s hosts were USACE Headquarters, the Institute for Water Resources, and the Jacksonville District. The purpose was to “set forth particular conditions to facilitate the cooperation and coordination of the exchange of scientific and technological information concerning water resources management of mutual interest of the Parties, and to provide a framework for cooperation between Parties in these fields for civilian purposes.” (Implementation Agreement, 17 November 2015). The theme of this year’s exchange was Disaster Management, and the fourteen member delegation from Japan met at USACE Headquarters on the first day. The group was welcomed by Mr. James Dalton, USACE Director of Civil Works. The full-day agenda included topics and speakers such as MLIT Principles on Investment for Water-related Disaster Rick Reduction (Mr. Ryoichi Suga), USACE Approach to Disaster Management (Mr. Ray Alexander), USACE Civil Works Planning and Budgeting Principles and Processes for Risk Reduction Water Resources Projects (Mr. Steve Kopecky), and the MLIT New Water Resources Policy in Japan - Risk-based Approach (Mr. Masahiro Yamaguchi). There were also briefings on recent U.S. Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria and their recovery efforts (COL David Hibner), as well as the Risk Based Approach used by USACE (Mr. Jeffery Strahan). The US participants were especially interested in Japan’s principle of “Build Back Better.” All of the presentations were well received and with the help of a translator many questions were addressed, making it a worthwhile technical exchange.

ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA. Every two years UNESCO’s International Hydrological Programme (IHP) holds its Intergovernmental Council meeting, which attracts most of IHP’s member states along with its affiliated “water family” of UNESCO centers and chairs. IHP is UNESCO’S international scientific cooperative program in water research, water resources management, education, and capacity-building. In June, at UNESCO’s Headquarters offices in Paris, the U.S. delegation to this intergovernmental meeting was led by Verne Schneider (Secretary, U.S. National Committee for IHP) and co-led by Will Logan (Director, International Center for Integrated Water Resources Management, ICIWaRM). Council members and others present discussed issues such as the role of IHP in the larger UN water family, including UN-Water and water-related High-Level Panels; proposed creation of new initiatives such as a Land Subsidence International Initiative (LaSII), and communication among the water family members. The week-long sessions also included the first UNESCO Water Science-Policy Interface Colloquium, where ministers overseeing water resources gathered to “present and discuss the progress made thus far in implementing SDG 6 (Water and sanitation) and other water related targets.” ICIWaRM was among the select UNESCO water centers chosen to highlight its activities and products and how they are being used by water planners, managers and decision-makers.

ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA. On the fourth Thursday in April, millions of Americans participate in ‘Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work’ Day. Several children of IWR employees participated in this year’s event which marked the 25th Anniversary of this tradition. The kids had an action-packed day of learning about the USACE and the jobs their parents do. The morning session was hosted by Humphrey’s Engineering Center and included children from all over the installation. The group of students took part in a construction activity where they built towers out of spaghetti and marshmallows. They played games and watched an educational movie about the earth. In the afternoon, the children accompanied their parents to their work areas. IWR organized activities with coloring pages about water safety, dredging, and coastal ecosystems.

ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA. In recent years staff from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Institute for Water Resources (IWR) and its Collaboration & Public Participation CX have worked alongside USACE’s Pacific Ocean Division to support the Southeast Asian countries of the Mekong River Basin on water resources management issues. In 2016, the IWR team led a series of workshops on Building Capacity in Public Involvement, Shared Vision Planning, & Conflict Resolution for the government of Lao PDR’s Ministry of Energy & Mines. The Lao PDR had requested the support to help them better address local, regional, and international concerns regarding the multiple planned hydropower projects in the Mekong basin. The success of the workshops led to a request from the Mekong River Commission (MRC) to provide interest-based negotiation and collaborative modeling training for its staff and joint commission members. In July of 2017, IWR staff Drs. Seth Cohen, Guillermo Mendoza, and John Kucharski of HEC, led members of the Joint Commission from the four countries of the MRC (Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam) in a series of Shared Vision Planning (SVP), collaborative gaming, and negotiation techniques to prioritize national and regional interests, examine tradeoffs, and seek joint solutions for the Lower Mekong Basin. An outcome of that first workshop was a request to use current MRC data and develop a collaborative planning model to provide a common point for discussion and an understanding of the tradeoffs associated with various management plans. In November 2017, IWR staff Drs. Jennifer Olszewski and Seth Cohen, along with consultant Sarah Helinek, conducted a second workshop in Vientiane, Laos to present the model to stakeholders. Addressing Trans-boundary Water Resources Management Challenges Trans-boundary water resources management is complex and requires evaluating and then balancing multiple and often competing priorities and goals. It is further complicate