WERI’s mission is to seek solutions through research, teaching, and outreach programs, to issues and problems associated with the location, production, distribution, and management of freshwater resources. The Institute provides its regional stakeholders with technical expertise in water resources related fields spanning the entire natural water cycle and spectrum of human water use, including tropical climatology, surface water hydrology, rainfall catchment systems, groundwater modeling and management, and various aspects of water quality. WERI administers and carries out research, training, and other information transfer programs under a variety of federal and local funding sources, but the institute was created specifically to administer Department of Interior (US Geological Survey) money under Section 104 B of the National Institute of Water Research (NIWR) 104 B Program. WERI has responsibility for 104 B monies on Guam, in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas islands (CNMI), and in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). The faculty and staff of WERI seek to improve economic conditions and quality of life for the citizens of Guam and its regional island partners.

Over the last ten years, WERI faculty members have collectively published 72 refereed journal articles, 53 technical reports, and over 110 conference proceedings. They have also given numerous professional presentations and training workshops. Following its most recent 3-year evaluation, WERI was once again congratulated by the evaluation panel for continuing to promote an exemplary program appropriately focused in a programmatically separate way on the water problems of Guam, the CNMI and the FSM.