Israel, Louisiana Sign Water Agreement

The Water Institute of the Gulf, based in Louisiana, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Israel’s Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research. The five-year agreement will see the two institutes work collaboratively on strategic water research initiatives, the organizations said in a statement.

As part of the deal, the parties will focus on groundwater research, applications to improve farming, better utilization of drinking water aquifers, surface water and stream research, and other fields that support and enhance human life.

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said: “The spirit of our mission to Israel is to join two peoples and two cultures in a way that brings lasting benefit to both our lands. The Negev, the vast desert of southern Israel and home to the Zuckerberg Institute, is a striking contrast to the Mississippi River and coastal Louisiana, where The Water Institute of the Gulf is based. But the reality is both of these institutes conduct water management research all over the world, and both can bring their scientists and research together to solve our biggest challenges related to water.

Currently, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) of Louisiana manages a $50 billion master plan to support growth in water management, state officials said.