Florida International University

Florida International University is an internationally renowned research institution with a diverse undergraduate and graduate student body, which has a long history of research and collaboration in the tropical Andes. With this grant, FIU and its partners, including Pontificia Universidad Javeriana and Universidad San Francisco de Quito, are establishing a multi-stakeholder platform to conserve free-flowing rivers in the tropical Andes, called Rios Vivos Andinos. The platform brings together scientists, government authorities, and conservation practitioners in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia to strengthen the capacity of regional authorities and civil society to effectively implement management strategies for free-flowing rivers. They are also convening the first Andean Rivers Summit in the region to showcase scientific knowledge and management practice for tropical Andean rivers.

Florida International University (FIU), the only public university in Miami, has an established international reputation through its environmental research programs. Since 2005 FIU has been undertaking research on ecological flows and water management in Tanzania and Kenya in collaboration with relevant authorities. This project aims to improve water security of the lower Mara River Basin and ensure the long-term sustainability of the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and for the wellbeing of human populations. FIU's network of collaborators will include the Tanzania National Parks Authorities and the Ministry of Water, as well as the Lake Victoria Basin Commission and researchers from East African universities.