Community Engagement
Building transformative adaptive capacities with communities in the Río Piedras Watershed
Dr. Tischa Muñoz-Erickson from the International Institute of Tropical Forestry (IITF) of the USDA has been collaborating with Alianza por la Cuenca del Río Piedras (Alianza) in building transformative adaptive capacities with communities in the Río Piedras Watershed, in particular, underserved communities at the frontline of both flood impacts and the large infrastructure flood projects in which they have been excluded from the design process. A core objective for the Alianza this year was to connect the different leaders and groups working with these communities into a community of practice that facilitates knowledge exchange and co-learning on flood adaptation strategies.
Dr. Pablo Méndez Lázaro is providing education and capacity building to help integrate a multi-hazard perspective into efforts exploring adaptive strategies for flooding. On August 21, 2023, Méndez-Lázaro led a Community Dialogue on the topic of Urban Heat in San Juan with 12 residents from different communities in the watershed. He presented the latest trends on heat waves regionally and urban heat specifically, emphasizing the impacts on health and potential solutions, such as heat advisories, adaptation mechanisms, and benefits of nature-based solutions.
Muñoz-Erickson and Wanda Crespo, NOAA’s Climate Adaptation Specialist, collaborated with the Alianza to plan and facilitate a Community Summit held on November 4th, 2023. The Summit was a one-day workshop that brought the different communities along the Río Piedras to identify common concerns and objectives for addressing flood risks at a watershed level. Approximately 30 community leaders from eight different communities participated in the summit and came together to form the Coalición Comunitaria de la Cuenca del Río Piedras, or Coalición (Río Piedras Watershed Community Coalition).
