3-year $100,000 impact grant
University of Rhode Island Foundation
on behalf of
URI Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Community Climate Change Strategy
Woodard & Curran Foundation is pleased to support this project that will work to bridge the gap between macro-scale climate change science and drinking water system development for communities worldwide by developing an innovative Community Climate Change Strategy (CCCS) to design sustainable water systems for climate change adaptation and mitigation. This project will also improve the effectiveness of the CCCS by implementing a climate-ready drinking water system for a newly constructed school in Cumayasa, Dominican Republic.
Getting first-hand experience with drinking water system development.
PROJECT SUMMARY: YEAR 1
During year 1 of the grant cycle, two assessments of the site in Cumayasa, Dominican Republic were completed. The assessment teams consisted of professors and graduate students from the University of Rhode Island (URI), graduate students and alumni from the University of South Florida (USF), and consulting engineers. Water testing equipment was purchased to perform water analyses of different water sources in Cumayasa. Initial steps were taken toward the development and dissemination of the Community Climate Change Strategy (CCCS). Meetings and presentations focused on the adaptation of water supplies to climate change were conducted, and ongoing feedback from prospective partners will be incorporated into the final CCCS.
Project engineer David Kurtz surveys the project site where the climate-ready water system will be constructed.
success stories
"With the recent destruction from Hurricane Irma in the Caribbean, the need for resilient communities and water systems is more evident than ever. Climate change will result in more severe hurricanes, flood events, and droughts. Our team continues to apply lessons learned from these catastrophic events into our climate change adaptation strategies. Regular communication with our partner community in the Dominican Republic throughout Hurricane Irma has demonstrated their hope and confidence for a climate-ready water system.” – Kayla Kurtz, Clean Water Caribbean Program Lead
“I'm really excited about this project, not just because we are helping the community of Cumayasa, but because they want to help us help them. So frequently projects are in the right location from a scientific perspective, but the project isn't community driven and it's really hard to make those projects successful. The fact that this community has asked for help and keeps in frequent communication is a great sign.” –Annie Sager, Clean Water Caribbean Education Lead