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SOPAC Director appointed to Circum-Pacific Council

Tuesday, 25 May 2010 14:30 administrator
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SOPAC Director, Dr Russell Howorth, was appointed to the Circum-Pacific Council for Energy and Mineral Resources at its recent meeting in Wellington, New Zealand. In accepting the appointment he expressed his pleasure at being able to strengthen a partnership between the Council and SOPAC that goes back some 30 years.

The Council was founded 1972. It is a non-profit international organisation of earth scientists and engineers. The Council develops and promotes research and cooperation among industry, government and academia for the sustainable utilisation of earth resources in the Pacific Region.

The Council's goals include: improving knowledge of earth resources and damaging geologic hazards in the Pacific Region; increasing collaboration among geologists, hydrologists, biologists, oceanographers and related scientists; and disseminating earth-science information through maps, publications, symposia and workshops.

As a first new joint initiative the Circum-Pacific Council has agreed to co-host with SOPAC and STAR (the Science, Technology and Resources Network of SOPAC) a one-day special session on seabed mapping entitled “Map Once – Use Many Ways” to be held in conjunction with the Annual Session of SOPAC in Nadi, late October. The session will be convened on Monday 18th October. The Circum-Pacific? Council has agreed to also hold its next full meeting in Nadi, and this will give the opportunity to bring a range of new potential partners into the SOPAC Pacific region.

 

Last Updated on Tuesday, 25 May 2010 14:31  

Newsflash

Disaster Reduction Programme's EU B-Envelope project is working closely with the Ministry of Lands, Survey and Natural Resources (MLSNR) to drill six boreholes on Tongatapu. A contract was signed with NEEDS Engineering Ltd for approximately TOP120,000.

Work has just been completed in drilling the first borehole near the international airport that was at a depth of 55 meters with other sites to follow. The borehole at Fu’amotu will be drilled to a depth of 65 meters while the three boreholes at Mata’kieua wellfield will be at a dept of 24 – 35 meters.

The boreholes will be used by MLSNR to monitor water quality. This is very important as the water piped through the reticulated supply to households in Nukua’lofa and in most villages on Tongatapu is sourced from the underground water lens. The data collected through monitoring the water quality including salinity is essential for good management of the water supply.

The MLSNR visit all boreholes on a regular basis to collect samples for testing in their laboratory. The project has also completed upgrading the infrastructure at the Mataki’eua wellfield with construction of new wellsheds, supply of electric submersible pumps and supply of rainwater catchments to the outer islands.