BATON ROUGE, LA, and AUSTIN, TEXAS, Feb. 9, 2015 -- Today, the Water Institute of the Gulf, a Louisiana-based nonprofit research institute, and the U.S. Business Council for Sustainable Development (US BCSD), a Texas-based nonprofit business association, announced a partnership agreement that will allow the organizations to collaborate on applied research aimed at finding solutions to a variety of water challenges.
Nearly a decade after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and five years after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the agreement creates an alliance between two groups, which have tackled a number of issues involving the protective role played by Louisiana's eroding wetlands and the importance of the state's water resources. Further, they have been working to help industries and their surrounding communities develop, deploy and scale solutions for ecosystems, energy, materials, and water-related issues.
The US BCSD is composed of 55 U.S. companies sharing a commitment to pursuing sustainable development. It is a member of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, a global network of more than 200 international companies that serves as the umbrella organization for 65 similar national business councils worldwide.
The US BCSD's Louisiana Water Synergy Project will serve as the platform for the organization's initial cooperative venture. The project, which began in May 2012, provides a forum for business leaders with infrastructure investments in southern Louisiana to collaborate on efforts to help ensure sustainable water supplies while protecting wetlands and improving water quality in the region.
The project involves 21 companies representing a wide range of industrial sectors, including manufacturing, beverages, oil and gas, chemicals, and utilities. Participants also include representatives from the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, and Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry. A key objective for the pilot is to develop a replicable work process that can be applied in other watersheds and regions.
See also:
"Louisiana added to EPA assessment of nation's coastal waters"
"USDA, NFWF partnership to support ongoing Gulf restoration from Deepwater Horizon oil spill"
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 the U.S. Business Council for Sustainable Development
The US BCSD is an action-oriented and member-led nonprofit business association that harnesses the power of collaborative projects, platforms and partnerships to develop, deploy and scale solutions to ecosystems, energy, materials, and water challenges. For more information, visit www.usbcsd.org.
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