Pacific Region Infrastructure Facility (PRIF) visit to WRL

The UNSW Water Research Laboratory and UNSW Global Water Institute were pleased to host this week a visit to our laboratories by the Pacific Region Infrastructure Facility (PRIF), lead by Secretariat Manager Mr Jack Whelan. Also accompanying were representatives from Asia Development Bank offices in various Pacific countries, including the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Nauru.   

PRIF is a multi-agency coordination mechanism aimed at improving the delivery of development assistance from donors and development partners to the infrastructure sector in the Pacific region. PRIF supports infrastructure development and maintenance in Pacific Island Countries through investment coordination, research and technical assistance. The membership of PRIF comprises the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), European Union and European Investment Bank (EU/EIB), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (NZMFAT) and the World Bank Group.  

WRL’s Coastal Engineering team is currently undertaking a project with PRIF and Tonkin and Taylor International focussed on identifying and testing cost-effective coastal protection options suitable for widespread application across the Pacific. Lead by WRL’s Principal Coastal Engineer Matt Blacka, WRL Director Ian Turner and GWI Director Nick Schofield, the group inspected WRL’s laboratory facilities and observed the physical model testing that is currently underway.

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