Sandia has begun efforts to provide solutions to decision makers throughout the world.

Prompted by U.S. recognition of its connection to the global environment and concern about the impact on U.S. security of the failure of critical infrastructures elsewhere in the world, Sandia has begun efforts to provide solutions to decision makers throughout the world to help in the management of indigenous and transnational infrastructure issues that are critical to U.S. national security. The first step in these efforts has been the convention of several Vital Issues Panels (VIPs) to ascertain needs and requirements from in-country stakeholders. Panels have already been run in China, Senegal, Nicaragua, and Puerto Rico (which, while not a 'foreign country,' has some extra-national concerns that are of interest to the U.S. in this context). Future VIPs are being structured for the Middle Africa Sahelian countries, Mexico, Costa Rica, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic.

The Vital Issues Panels and other discussions have ascertained that there is, indeed, a need for timely, world-wide access to relevant information, expertise, and technology related to infrastructure management. The most immediate infrastructure of concern appears to be water, although others, such as energy, food, and pollution also are of interest. The issues identified related to water directly support the emerging U.S. national concern with environmental security, which itself is described most clearly in the July 1996 interagency Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) among the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Defense Concerning Cooperation in Environmental Security (signed 3 July 1996).

Senagal Vital Issues panalists include representatives from government, private sector or industry, academia and citizens interest groups.

This MOU, as well as other enabling documents and supporting language from other national security agencies clearly establishes environmental security as a national security issue. It further emphasizes the importance to U.S. national security of supporting appropriate and effective management of environmentally related infrastructures to prevent failure events with significant national security consequences. This underscores the relevance of the international dimension to Sandia's Critical Infrastructure Surety Program.

Multilateral funding institutions, such as the World Bank, that have historically supported infrastructure development activities in emerging nations, have demonstrated a high level of interest in the types of solutions Sandia can offer. This interest was emphasized during the July 1997 International Workshop on the Science and Technology of Environmental Security in Drylands which was co-sponsored by Sandia, the United Nations Environment Program, and the City of Albuquerque, and was attended by over 50 professionals from six different continents. Participants of the workshop were able to define a number of technology-based solutions to drylands-related problems.

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