Beyond flood maps: Puerto Rico residents seek climate tools built around local needs
Resources such as sea level rise viewers, heat maps and flood prediction services are crucial tools in a changing climate. NASA Earth Observations (NASA EO) datasets provide important information on these and other natural hazards, but many communities that may benefit from these tools face barriers to accessing them.
This article explores how residents of La Margarita, a community on Puerto Rico's southern coast, are seeking climate tools tailored to their specific needs. NASA Earth Observations (NASA EO) datasets provide valuable information on natural hazards like flooding, storm exposure, and air quality, but many communities struggle to access these resources. In La Margarita, a historically underserved area, residents face challenges including pollution from nearby power plants and inadequate government investment.
After Hurricane Fiona in 2022, which caused significant damage to low-lying areas, a team worked with community leaders to assess how NASA EO datasets could address local concerns. The project involved three phases over nine months. In the first phase, researchers conducted bilingual interviews with 16 local leaders and residents to understand their environmental justice concerns and familiarity with EO tools.
In the second phase, participants were shown how to use these tools to monitor power outages and project sea level rise. Finally, in the third phase, researchers compiled a bilingual report summarizing the community's concerns and the available NASA EO resources, which was then shared with the community for feedback.
Key concerns identified by the study participants included flooding (56%), land misuse from illegal development (63%), and air quality issues (50%). The biggest concern was government inaction (69%). Initially, residents had little awareness of the EO tools but felt that flood mapping and air quality monitoring systems would be particularly useful if supported with guidance on how to use them.
Barriers to accessing these tools included spotty internet access, unfamiliarity with the technology, previous negative experiences with authorities, and language barriers.
The study authors emphasize that environmental justice goes beyond simply providing data; it involves building trust among scientists, communities, and agencies like NASA. This trust is essential for ensuring that important tools reach and are used by those who need them most. The researchers suggest that collaboration with researchers and agencies that listen to community concerns and work towards community-led decision-making is crucial for effective climate services.
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