Oclaya Verwey

I am the founder of Yemoja WatR+, a water consultancy firm specialized in water, soil and environmental consultancy. I have worked on water-related projects in my home country Suriname as well as internationally for almost ten years, spanning from integrated water resources management and sustainable water resource research to drinking water supply. As a hydrogeologist, I'm currently affiliated with the Anton the Kom University of Suriname as a lecturer and researcher and also a 2024 Full bright Scholar for the Hubert Humphrey Fellowship at Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Science at the Global Development Department.

With the company, I focus on integrating research with practical solutions to assure accessible water supply across different needs. Current water challenges in combination with challenging climate patterns are requesting sustainable and innovative approaches in order to reach more people to help them gain access to clean and affordable water. Furthermore, we also focus on incorporating data and research into decision-making and policy processes to support local government practices to ensure that they comply with the SDG 6 goals on water and sanitation. Our projects vary from research and technical consultancy to drilling, maintenance and monitoring of private water wells.