The Water and Climate Justice Lab envisions a future where community-academic partnerships tackle the interconnected challenges of water and climate justice. By prioritizing Community-Based Participatory Action Research (CBPAR), we aim to empower communities, amplify their voices, and drive collaborative solutions that promote environmental justice and sustainability. Our multidisciplinary, student-centered approach integrates both qualitative and quantitative methods, while working closely with the Frugal Innovation Hub at Santa Clara University.
Our Areas of Engagement
Student researchers and leaders presenting at the Sustainability & Environmental Justice Research Symposium. March 2025.
NicaAgua team meeting. February 2023.
Student researcher collecting water samples from domestic wells in the Central Valley. September 2024.
A conversation on the water demands of AI data centers led by Iris Stewart-Frey and Irina Raicu. October 2025.
Student researcher analyzing well water samples for contaminants. October 2025.
Mapping of community resources. Esteli Workshop, June 2019.
CAFO next to residential well. Well testing field visit, September 2024. (Photo by Andrew Schatz).
Site visit to data center under construction in southern California. November 2025.
Residents with contaminated wells rely on bottled water deliveries for drinking. November 2025.
Made possible through collaboration with the Frugal Innovation Hub and the Environmental Justice and the Common Good Initiative.
