CHENNAI: A two-member delegation travelling under the Ambassador’s Water Expert Program (AWEP), an initiative of the US Departments of State and Interior, visited the city to engage and collaborate with experts, policy makers, and educational institutions on water resource challenges, disaster management, and climate change.

They were in the city at the invitation of the US Consul General from January 2-13, an official release here said.

“Steven Metzler, director of Water Resources, San Antonio River Authority (SARA), and Julia McCarthy, deputy director of the Mitigation Division, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region 5, visited Anna University’s Centre for Climate Change and Disaster Management. They had a joint fireside chat at the Future Cities Summit during the Shaastra TechFest at IIT-Madras, met industry stakeholders with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), took a storytelling tour along the Adyar River, and offered expertise on a panel discussion at Umagine 2025 titled ‘Innovative Solutions to Combat Climate Change: A Global Perspective’,” the release said.

The delegation also held discussions with Mayor R Priya, K Manivasan, IAS, additional Chief Secretary, WRD.

US Consul General Chris Hodges said, “The US supports the State government’s efforts at river remediation, effective sewage management, flood mitigation, and disaster resilience as a partner and a friend.”