Researchers to study flood resilience in Caribbean with international grant

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette has been awarded more than $697,000 as part of an international initiative to examine flood resilience and climate adaptation for coastal communities in the Caribbean.

The National Science Foundation, the National Endowment of the Humanities, and partner funding agencies from a range of other countries recently announced a total of $26 million in funding, according to a press release. The awards are the result of last year’s International Joint Initiative for Research on Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation competition.

For its part of the research initiative, UL Lafayette and 10 universities across the U.S. are collaborating with partners from several other countries. The project being led by UL Lafayette – “A Collaboratively Designed and Managed Flood Resilience Framework for Affected Communities in the Caribbean Region” – has three objectives:

to develop simulation models for flood forecasting and flood risk mitigation in vulnerable communities;
to deliver training for local engineers and planners in the Caribbean region on the design and applications of flood risk simulation models; and
to support capacity building and knowledge dissemination to the region in disaster flood management and recovery.

Dr. Emad Habib of the College of Engineering is leading UL Lafayette’s research efforts. He is an endowed chair and professor in the Department of Civil Engineering and director of the University’s Louisiana Watershed Flood Center and its Institute for Coastal and Water Research.

“During this project we will collaborate with our partner researchers from McGill University in Canada, Imperial College and Center and University of West Indies in the Caribbean, to develop a flood resilience framework for affected communities in the Caribbean region,” Habib said.

“As part of our capacity building goals, we will also provide training to local engineers and planners on the applications of flood risk simulation models and support knowledge dissemination to the wider Caribbean region in disaster flood management and recovery. Our project includes funding and training opportunities for two engineering Ph.D. students, and will lead to developing international collaborations that align with our mission as an R1 university in the field of climate adaptation and community resilience.”

Other participating countries include Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Barbados, Brazil, the Faroe Islands, Germany, Ghana, Greenland, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, India, Indonesia, Italy, Mali, Namibia, the Netherlands, Norway, Peru, South Africa, Sri Lanka, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, and Uganda.
 
"Addressing the impacts of climate change requires a coordinated global effort," said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan. "Together, our organizations are able to support unique, innovative and transformational ideas that will forge a path toward a more sustainable planet for generations to come."

Photo caption: Dr. Emad Habib is leading the UL Lafayette’s efforts as part of an international collaboration to examine flood resilience and climate adaptation for coastal communities in the Caribbean. Image credit: University of Louisiana at Lafayette