Pasadena-based infrastructure and engineering services firm Tetra Tech Inc. has nabbed a pair of contracts worth $58 million from the United States Agency for International Development.
On Jan. 4, Tetra Tech announced it had received a $24 million contract from the federal agency to use environmental monitoring tools and establish programs to preserve biodiversity, conserve natural resources, and enhance community livelihoods in Cambodia.
Then, on Jan. 9, Tetra Tech announced another contract from the same federal agency – this one for $34 million to help advance sustainable economic development through improved land-rights governance across all of the federal agency’s international development projects.
For the Cambodia contract, Tetra Tech will be working through the United States Agency for International Development’s Conserve Activity program. The company’s climate experts will support Cambodian partners to protect critical ecosystems using a community-led natural resource management approach. The experts will partner with local communities to conduct robust and transparent monitoring using mobile data collection tools to combat illegal logging and wildlife poaching. They will also implement programs to stimulate economic growth and promote climate-smart, community-based enterprises, including ecotourism.
Tetra Tech climate finance experts will develop long-term sustainable solutions such as blue carbon credit programs in flooded forests and coastal areas in partnership with the Royal Government of Cambodia, conservation organizations, and the private sector.
“Healthy and sustainable forests and ecosystems provide essential climate and economic resiliency for communities and nations in the face of climate change,” said Dan Batrack, Tetra Tech’s chief executive. “Tetra Tech is pleased to use our data-driven ‘leading with science’ approach to support USAID in providing environmentally sustainable development solutions and helping Cambodia reach its goal of being carbon neutral by 2050.”
For the other $34 million contract, Tetra Tech will be working on the agency’s Integrated Land and Resource Governance II project. The company’s specialists will develop and implement land- and property-rights policies that protect ecosystems, catalyze private sector investments and benefit vulnerable populations, particularly securing women’s rights.
The specialists will conduct research, implement conflict mitigation tools and deploy technology to document land rights in rural and remote areas. They also will facilitate strategic partnerships to institute anticorruption reforms and develop systems and policies that advance equitable and resilient communities.
“Establishing secure and documented property rights is essential for inclusive economic growth, environmental sustainability, and food security,” Batrack said.
“Tetra Tech is pleased to continue supporting USAID to expand global land and resource governance systems as part of our commitment to improve 1 billion lives through our projects by 2030,” he added.
