Water & Climate Justice Events

Water & Climate Justice Events

 James Muller, Principal Environmental Planner for Integrated Regional Water Management Program and grant manager for the Bay Area Disadvantaged Community and Tribal Partners Project and Alexander Tavizon, Bay Area Tribal Project Manager, California Indian Environmental Alliance presented a preliminary finding in their assessment of the Bay Area Integrated Regional Water Management Program, followed by a panel discussion with Gregg Castro, [t’rowt’raahl Salinan/rumsien-ramaytush Ohlone] Culture Director of the Association of Ramaytush Ohlone (ARO), Kanyon “Coyote Woman” (Hahashkani) Sayers-Roods, [Mutsun-Ohlone] Two Spirit Indigenous relative, Co-Founder of CEO of Kanyon Konsulting LLC, and active leader in the Native Community and Charlie Toledo [Towa] Director of Suscol Intertribal Council, Napa CA. Organized and moderated by the Initiative’s Iris Stewart-Frey and Clare Pace (UC Berkeley), the event was co-sponsored by the Initiative, the Northern California Environmental Justice Network for Community-Academic Partnerships, SCU’s Office for Diversity and Inclusion, the UC Berkeley Water Equity Science Shop, Stanford’s Environmental Justice Working Group, and SJSU’s Department of Environmental Studies

Webinar recording 

Securing Human Right to Water in Tribal Communities Slides

Bidtah Becker, Deputy Secretary for Environmental Justice, Tribal Affairs and Border Relations, CalEPA, and Heather Tanana, College Of Law, University of Utah discussed tribal water issues, including access, infrastructure, quality, operations and maintenance. The presenters discussed the history and status of tribal water access, as well as opportunities created by new funding from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the state of California’s efforts to use its first-in-the-nation law establishing a human right to water to make this right a reality in Indigenous communities.  Organized and moderated by the Initiative’s Iris Stewart-Frey and Clare Pace (UC Berkeley), the event was co-sponsored by the Initiative, the Northern California Environmental Justice Network for Community-Academic Partnerships, SCU’s Office for Diversity and Inclusion, the UC Berkeley Water Equity Science Shop, Stanford’s Environmental Justice Working Group, and SJSU’s Department of Environmental Studies.

Webinar recording

Professors Iris Stewart-Frey, Ed Maurer and undergraduate Kenny Joseph presented their research on climate and water insecurity issues in Northern Nicaragua at the largest annual scientific meeting for professional geographers. 

Climatic shifts and household water security in northern Nicaragua

Iris Stewart-Frey shared case studies and discussed the equity of sharing water resources as water grows scarce and demand grows. How can we think about equity and what are potential solutions? The presentation started discussing California but later expanded to other regions.

Webinar recording  

A public talk by Dr. Iris Stewart-Frey (Environmental Science) and Dr. Ed Maurer (Civil Engineering). Discussed the concepts of water and climate justice using the San Joaquin Valley and the Bay Area as an example. This talk was followed by a presentation on the disparate impacts of climate change on global communities. The talk ended with some ideas how to become active for greater water and climate justice. Professors Stewart-Frey and Maurer are faculty collaborative member of the Environmental Justice and the Common Good Initiative

This virtual panel highlighted the work and collaborations of long-term water justice organizations, local government entities, and academic partners in Northern California. Panelists shared best practices to document and reduce inequities in water access and affordability, flood risk, uneven exposures to water pollution, and in partnerships.

1. Drinking water well vulnerability underground water sustainability planning. Darcy Bostic, Pacific Institute
2. Climate Change and Coastal Risks in Santa Cruz, California. Dr. Tiffany Wise-West, Sustainability and Climate Action Manager, City of Santa Cruz and Dr. Costanza Rampini, Environmental Studies Dept., San José State University
3. Community-based research partnerships in environmental justice communities in the Central Coast and San Joaquin Valley. Heather Lukacs, Community Water Center
4. Driving policy changes in addressing nitrate pollution in Central Valley domestic wells through the CV-SALTS program. Marisol Aguilar, CA Rural Legal Assistance and Iris Stewart-Frey, Santa Clara University and Environmental Justice & Common Good Initiative

More than 60 participants enjoyed the lively discussion, resources sharing and an optional coffee chat. This event was organized by the Northern California Network for Community-Academic Partnerships in Environmental Justice.

Photo Credit: ATA

2021_07_08 Water Climate Equity Panel Presentation

Link to Water, Climate and Equity Panel Recording

A workshop co-organized by community partner organization ASDENIC in northern Nicaragua and the Water and Climate Justice program of the EJ&CGI (Iris Stewart-Frey and Ed Maurer)  focused on climate change adaptation and sustainable water management in 13 communities surrounding an ecological park in northern Nicaragua. The workshop brought together representatives from water committees, the mayor’s office in Condega, ASDENIC, and academic researchers. Stewart-Frey and Maurer presented research work examining climatic trends and their impacts on water resources, and the exploration of locally relevant measures of drought, water availability and the nature of the midsummer drought to support planning for the ecological park that serves as the source for all local water as well as adaptation strategies for better understanding and managing these changes. In the planning portion of the workshop, water committee representatives discussed monitoring and adaptation strategies and how further research may support efforts towards greater water security,  making drinking water safer, and better protection of the ecological park and watershed.   EJCGI,  Alcaldía de Condega and ASDENIC.

Iris Stewart-Frey (ESS, EJ&CGI) and Lilah Foster (ESS ‘21,Clare Boothe Luce scholar) together with partners from the California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA) were invited to present their research on nitrate groundwater contamination at a recent Central Valley-wide CV-SALTS workshop held by the Central Valley Water Board. Nitrates and pesticide contamination of shallow groundwater is widespread in the region and presents a serious risk for human health. Many disadvantaged communities are not connected to public water systems and draw their water from domestic wells tapping contaminated water. The Water Board is currently establishing the regulatory framework for the CV-SALTS program, which, instead of regulating individual nitrate emitters, seeks collaborative approaches from emitters towards nitrate reduction and provisions of safe drinking water for established management zones . 

The panel was moderated by Iris Stewart-Frey, with participants from Nigeria (Anthony Akpan, Pan-African Voices for Environment), Seattle, and SCU (Teresia Hinga, Founder Circle of Concerned African Women Theologian).

>>watch the video

ESS student Jackie Rogers (Env Sci '20) presented her research under a Hackworth Grant on the ethics of how we distribute water when water is short.  Participants heard from experts from water agencies and environmental groups and found out where Bay Area voters stand on conserving water for others and the environment. This seminar was co-sponsored by the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, the Department of Environmental Studies and Sciences, and the Environmental Justice and the Common Good Initiative. Jackie was mentored by Iris Stewart-Frey (ESS)

Ed Maurer and Chad Raphael presented and led discussions on climate justice for the tUrn Climate Crisis Research Group of SCU faculty and staff, and for a tUrn-organized event for the wider SCU community.

>>See Climate Justice 2020 Slides

Research team Iris Stewart- Frey, Chloe Gentile-Montgomery and Meghan Adams presented a few maps and ideas regarding data and communities at two meetings that TRT and Catholic Charities convened on August 12 and 14 for Modesto Disadvantaged Unincorporated Communities.

08,2020 Modesto Research Contribution to Community Action Plan

Image: Mapping of wells and nitrate contamination 2010-2020

We convened SCU faculty and staff to introduce the Initiative, explore research collaborations with each other and with community organizations, and learn about the Initiative’s Small Grants Program to support faculty research (including with students).

>>See SCU Working Group for EJ Slides