Despite the broad justifications above, governments often deprioritize hydrography when allocating funds where necessary. The reasons for this range from lack of interest and lack of understanding to political survival realism. Investing in national infrastructure in true public goods like waterways will neither attract public appreciation for tax cuts or benefits nor satisfy the comfort factor of industrial sector relief. Waterway infrastructure benefits the entire country, not just one particular lobby group. Investing in waterways saves lives by making navigation safer, enabling maritime operations that support national security and economic prosperity while protecting the environment. This is comparable to investing in infrastructure and insurance, and while it may not be very exciting, it is always a very solid investment. He holds a BS in Geography from the University of South Carolina, an MS in Meteorology and Natural Oceanography from the Naval Postgraduate School, and an MS in Hydrography from the University of Southern Mississippi. He is a qualified Naval Hydrographer and Surface Warfare Officer. His previous notable assignments include Commander. United States Navy Fleet Research Team and Staff Oceanographer of Carrier Strike Group 5. Finally, this paper provides complementary information that can be used to overcome at least one of the above barriers to investing in waterways: lack of knowledge. Provides a comprehensive overview of the 'public interest' and intrinsic economic value of waterways. This information will help educate government officials about the importance of hydrographic requirements. In doing so, it can also support the deployment of waterway infrastructure as a viable, effective and indeed attractive way to provide external support to developing coastal states. As is clear from the above discussion, hydrographic surveys of domestic waters, especially the provision of comprehensive hydrographic services, provide significant intrinsic value to national economies and provide opportunities for more active participation in the global economy. The non-intrusive, environmentally friendly and undisputed nature of waterways also makes them an ideal vehicle for economic assistance to developing countries. Specific regional examples are provided below to show how developing countries can benefit from investments in waterway services. Mineral resources include sand, gravel, oil, and other economically important resources located on or below the sea floor. By definition, hydrography characterizes the properties of the seafloor, thereby contributing directly to the discovery of areas of exploitable mineral resources. This should certainly be an incentive for coastal states to invest in waterway services and produce adequate nautical charts that can support the growing needs of maritime trade. Resulting in potential bottlenecks in navigation and increased volumes of goods passing through ports. Hydrography includes surveying and mapping rivers, lakes and seas. It gives us information about what the ocean floor looks like and how water moves on it. Hydrographic information is usually published in the form of nautical charts and nautical instructions in both paper and digital form. The International Federation of Surveyors (FIG) raises awareness and promotes the role of hydrometry as an important investment in economic development through its Commission 4 Working Group 4.4 Capacity Building and Economic Benefits of Hydrographic Survey work.