Featured in the group photo are the following: Collaborators in MD-AEP's water partnership MoU with the Singapore PUB featured at Center Club Reception with Singapore Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Mr. Ong Siew Gay. From left to right: Phil Phan from JHU Carey School of Business; Bob Summers from the Maryland Department of Environment; Andy Lazur, University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources; Sinisa Sirovica from I.M. Research Institute; Brian Darmody, representing the R.R. Colwell and A. Huq Laboratory with the Maryland Pathogen Research Institute; DCM Mr. Ong Siew Gay; Kathy Magruder, Maryland Clean Energy Center; Peter Gourlay, MD-AEP; Bob Wood, Director of the NOAA Oxford (Maryland) Cooperative Lab; Greg Smith, Director of the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Refuge in Laurel, MD; Jeremy Peichel, UMD Center for Integrative Environmental Research (CIER); Russell Hill, Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (IMET)
MD-AEP signed an MoU partnership agreement with PUB, signed in Singapore during Singapore International Water Week on July 7, 2011. The MoU is aimed at building collaborative water related partnerships between Maryland-based government, science and business groups to work cooperatively with their counterparts in Singapore as it exports its urban water management model throughout Asia. “Singapore is a world leader in urban water solutions as they have led the way in desalinization, water reuse and water catchment expertise,” said Peter R Gourlay, President and Founder of MD-AEP. “We’ve engaged Singapore since the launching of MD-AEP recognizing that Singapore’s water expertise has been widely sought from countries that are suffering from water scarcity and lack of water management. Through this partnership with Singapore, we believe that Maryland can provide some value added expertise with its good governance, science and empirical data modeling, in addition to its innovative clean up technologies being tested in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, the Bay’s tributaries and open waterways,” he said.
Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the United States, is one of the most studied water bodies on earth and is the recipient of over 80 years of scientific research and investment. “Many Asian environmental delegations come to Chesapeake Bay to learn from us on how we've handled the management of the largest estuary in the U.S. including such issues as rising sea levels, endangered fish habitats, waterborne disease, nutrient management, algal blooms and much more,” said Gourlay. “We recognize that many parts of Asia are facing severe water stress and the solutions will require holistic approaches from a public-private perspective,” he said.
In the coming months, Gourlay will work with the collaborating organizations, listed in the MoU, from Maryland to help match them with the appropriate counterparts in Singapore. Each of the organizations has indicated an interest in working with Singapore on providing their respective services as part of Singapore’s urban water export management model
Collaborating Maryland-based partners listed in the MoU bring unique water related expertise including: NOAA's Oxford Lab (health of tributaries), USGS' Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (coastal impact), University of Maryland’s (UMD) College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (nutrient management and food safety), UMD's Center for Integrative Environmental Research (sustainable cities), UMD's Pathogen Research Institute (waterborne disease), the Maryland Clean Energy Center (water‐energy technologies), JHU's Carey Business School (environmental finance) and IM Research (climate change).