In early-May, Water Institute Managing Director Kevin Boehmer travelled to Indonesia to share Water Institute experience with the Bogor Agricultural University (IPB University) in Bogor, Indonesia. IPB is a lead University of Waterloo partner in the Flood Impacts, Carbon Pricing and Ecosystem Sustainability (FINCAPES) project. FINCAPES is a 51/2 year, $15M project funded by Global Affairs Canada to improve Indonesia’s economic and environmental resilience to the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss in an inclusive, gender-responsive manner.

Jointly led by the Faculties of Mathematics and Environment, FINCAPES will support the establishment of an IPB-based centre of excellence for nature-based solutions for mangrove and peatland conservation and restoration.

“As one of Indonesia’s top universities and a recognized leader in applied mangrove and peatland research and teaching, the Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB) is an ideal institution to establish an active network of professors and students focused on the development, application and dissemination of best practices to support Indonesia’s national greenhouse gas mitigation and adaptation targets.”

-–– Kevin Boehmer, Managing Director, Water Institute

Boehmer’s mission to IPB University included facilitating a three-day participatory workshop with IPB leadership, IBP faculty and FINCAPES staff. The workshop included a review of institutional “best practices” derived from Water Institute experience and the development of draft terms of reference, strategic and annual business plans for the emerging IPB centre of excellence.

Fincapes team

Left to right: Etrin Sunjaya, FINCAPES Jakarta, Kevin Boehmer, Water Institute, Iskandar Siregar, Vice-Rector, Global Connectivity, Collaboration and Alumni, IPB, Naresworo Nugroho, Dean, Faculty of Forestry and Environment, IPB, Mindawati Azmi, FINCAPES Jakarta, Mawardi Muhammad, FINCAPES Jakarta.

Durian

Left to right: Iskandar Siregar, Vice-Rector, Global Connectivity, Collaboration and Alumni, IPB, Kevin Boehmer, Water Institute, Mawardi Muhammad, FINCAPES Jakarta, Mindawati Azmi, FINCAPES Jakarta, Etrin Sunjaya, FINCAPES Jakarta.

Group photo

Left to right: Mawardi Muhammad, FINCAPES Jakarta, Kevin Boehmer, Water Institute, Mindawati Azmi, FINCAPES Jakarta, Michael Lynch, FINCAPES Jakarta, Dodik Ridho Nurrochmat, Dean, Graduate Studies, IPB, Etrin Sunjaya, FINCAPES Jakarta, Naresworo Nugroho, Dean, Faculty of Forestry and Environment, IPB.