Cutting edge science, sophisticated modelling systems and a passion for the ocean have seen New Zealand company ASR Limited (Amalgamate Solutions and Research) become a sought-after provider of innovative and environmentally sensitive solutions for coastal protection in Asia.
ASR has a 30-year track record in marine consultancy and is regarded as the global leader in design and construction of multi purpose reefs.
Its approach is to work in concert with nature, understand the natural processes at work and then use science and technology to develop a sustainable management plan for individual sites.
Concern about coastal erosion and a disappearing beach prompted the Government of Kerala in India to commission ASR to construct an offshore, Multi-Purpose Reef at the popular tourist destination of Kovalam.
With funding from the Asia Development Bank, ASR carried out detailed modelling of wave, wind and tidal data before designing a submerged reef that redirects wave driven currents, reducing erosion along the beach.
The reef, completed in 2010, is also enhancing tourism growth by generating waves that are attracting surfers to the area.
Behunin says the pressures of development and the impact of climate change will make India and Indonesia important markets for ASR in the next few years.
ASR's scientific and design hub is in New Zealand and includes a laboratory where it carries out physical modelling to verify the results of numerical models based on the field data it gathers.
Around half of the company's 30 staff is in New Zealand and the rest are split between offices in California, the United Kingdom, India and Indonesia.
Other projects completed by ASR in Asia include modelling the effect of a proposed dredging operation in the Straits of Malacca and models for use in tsunami prone regions of Indonesia.
It has also built or designed Multi-Purpose Reefs in the United Kingdom, the United States and New Zealand.
