2024
︎︎︎ Research Announcement

Norman B. Leventhal Center for Advanced Urbanism &
Civic Data Design Lab 
Sarah Williams 
Gabriella Carolini
Janelle Knox-Hayes
Eran Ben-Joseph
Alberto Meouchi 
Stephen Hart

World Food Programme
Rossella Bottone

Abdul Latif Jameel Water and Food Systems Lab (J-WAFS)

Overview

This project seeks to tackle the pressing issue of water and food shortages in Maicao, a region in Northern Colombia severely affected by drought due to climate change. This area is home to both the Indigenous Wayúu people and Venezuelan migrants who face significant challenges in accessing basic necessities. The research aims to create a collaborative planning framework that respects and integrates these communities' unique cultural and social dynamics.

The project will co-design sustainable solutions with the people of Maicao. The team will engage the community through a series of workshops that will help to understand traditional ecological management practices. This process will ensure that the developed solutions are effective, culturally appropriate, and supported by those they are meant to help. 

By combining research on drought resilience with local knowledge, the goal is to develop interventions that can improve water and food security in Maicao. These solutions will be designed to be scalable and replicable in other regions facing similar challenges, potentially contributing to other indigenous and migrant communities worldwide who face the impacts of climate change.

Press
︎︎︎ J-WAFS awards seed grants to seven MIT projects in water and food J-WAFS news. 3 June 2024.
︎︎︎ Fortifying Water and Food Systems Against Climate Change DUSP news. 3 July 2024.