Beca International : Partners in Pacific Water Resilience
SPOTLIGHT ALLIED MEMBER PARTNERS: How PWWA Allied Member Beca is strengthening Pacific water security and climate resilience through sustainable infrastructure, local partnerships and capacity building.
11/8/20264 min read
Across the Pacific, ensuring access to safe and reliable water and sanitation services requires solutions that respond to the unique circumstances of island communities. From densely populated urban centres to remote atolls, water utilities must navigate infrastructure demands, geographic isolation and the growing impacts of climate change, while planning for the long-term sustainability of essential services.
For New Zealand-based engineering and advisory consultancy Beca, addressing these challenges begins with a commitment to working alongside Pacific communities, governments and local institutions. With more than five decades of experience in the region, the company has contributed to infrastructure development, water security and climate resilience initiatives, bringing together technical expertise and local knowledge to support sustainable outcomes.
As an Allied Member of the Pacific Water and Wastewater Association (PWWA) and sponsor of the 2026 PWWA Conference and Expo (PWWC26) , Beca shares the Association's commitment to strengthening the region's water sector through collaboration, knowledge exchange and capacity development.
Beca's Pacific engagement dates back to 1970, when it established its first regional office in Papua New Guinea. Today, the company has a network of nine regional hubs and long-standing relationships with local consulting firms, governments and development partners. Its work spans water and wastewater infrastructure, transport, environmental management, climate adaptation and institutional development, supported by multidisciplinary technical teams across its wider international operations.
This regional presence has enabled Beca to develop a practical understanding of the circumstances in which Pacific infrastructure must operate, including the importance of working with local organisations and communities to shape solutions that reflect their priorities.
In the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Beca worked with Majuro Water & Sewer Company (MWSC) to develop 20-year strategic and development plans for water and sanitation services in the country's capital. With limited natural freshwater resources and significant exposure to drought and climate change, Majuro faces complex challenges in maintaining reliable water supplies for its population.
The planning process brought together technical assessments, infrastructure investment priorities and extensive community engagement to help shape a long-term vision for safe, affordable and resilient services. The resulting plans provide a framework for infrastructure improvements alongside institutional strengthening, financial management and service delivery reforms.
The project also illustrates the value of community participation in infrastructure planning. Workshops, household surveys and public consultations helped ensure that local perspectives informed the proposed solutions, recognising that the long-term success of essential services depends on community needs and the institutions responsible for managing them.
In Nauru, Beca has also contributed to the development of water, sanitation and waste management infrastructure through the Asian Development Bank-supported Sustainable and Resilient Urban Development Project. The initiative includes the country's first reticulated water supply system, designed to serve approximately 1,200 households and reach around 55 percent of the population once completed.
Beca's contributions have included infrastructure master planning, feasibility studies, engineering design and the development of policy and operational frameworks. The project, which remains under implementation, is intended to improve water security, strengthen sanitation services and reduce environmental and public health risks, while supporting Nauru's longer-term climate resilience.
These projects illustrate the breadth of Beca's technical engagement across the region, from helping utilities establish long-term investment and management priorities to supporting the design of essential infrastructure. They also demonstrate how engineering expertise can contribute to addressing some of the Pacific's most pressing development challenges, particularly where water security, public health and climate resilience intersect.
For Beca, successful infrastructure development is closely connected to the capabilities of the people and institutions responsible for sustaining it. This commitment to knowledge sharing and professional development is also reflected in the company's involvement with PWWA's Young Water Professionals (YWP) Programme, which helps equip emerging Pacific water-sector professionals with the skills, networks and leadership experience to contribute to their respective utilities.
Anne-Marie Turnbull, a water-sector professional with Beca HunterH2O, has been actively involved in facilitating the programme, including at the 2026 Pacific Water and Wastewater Conference and Expo in Papaeete, Tahiti. Working alongside fellow facilitator Nicole Holmes, she supported young professionals from across the region as they strengthened their technical and leadership capabilities, exchanged experiences and prepared to share their perspectives with Pacific Water Ministers.
Her involvement reflects Beca's wider emphasis on developing local expertise and fostering professional connections that continue to benefit Pacific water utilities long after individual projects or training programmes have concluded.
Turnbull says Beca's long-standing presence in the Pacific reflects a commitment to partnerships that support both immediate development priorities and lasting outcomes for communities.
"At Beca, we believe the future of the Pacific will be shaped by strong partnerships, resilient communities and sustainable development. For more than five decades, we have worked alongside Pacific communities, governments and local partners to support infrastructure, climate resilience and essential services across the region. Our commitment is not only to deliver successful projects, but to build local capability, transfer knowledge and strengthen the skills and resources that remain long after a project is complete. By combining local insight with international expertise, we are committed to supporting Pacific-led development and creating lasting positive outcomes for the communities we serve."
For PWWA, engagement with Allied Members such as Beca contributes to a wider regional effort to connect Pacific water utilities with the expertise, experience and partnerships needed to strengthen service delivery. The Association's role in facilitating knowledge exchange and professional collaboration provides opportunities for technical organisations and utilities to share practical experiences and identify approaches suited to Pacific operating environments.
Through its continued engagement in the region and support for PWWA, Beca contributes to this shared commitment to a stronger, more resilient Pacific water sector, where infrastructure investment is accompanied by the local skills, knowledge and institutional capacity needed to sustain essential services for generations to come.
