Water
Areas served: Chuuk and More informat
Access to safe, fresh water is critical to the health and well-being of every community in the world. In most Pacific islands, rainfall is the most important source of fresh water. As climate change affects historical weather patterns, the availability and supply of water is changing, and prolonged droughts are becoming more common. As a result, the need for building water-secure and resilient societies is an urgent priority. PREL’s integrated, whole-system approach is working to ensure that residents have clean water while educating students, teachers, and other community members on critical issues of water quality and quantity. With support from the National Science Foundation, PREL launched Water for Life in 2012. Results from this project include resources such as the newly published Water for Life Handbook, educating fourthand seventh-grade students on Anguar Island in Palau through educational units on local geology and hydrology, and working on multiple site-based projects that are directly enhancing access to higher-quality drinking water. The project includes efforts such as: • Improving rainwater catchment systems in Majuro, bettering the quality of drinking water for over 4,000 K-12 students. To date, 85 students, teachers, and parents have been trained, and are now involved in ongoing school-based water quality monitoring teams. • Distributing and installing 75 “bob bags” that provide greater water security for thousands of people. • Building and installing first flush diverters on multiple community and school rainwater catchment systems in all four sites, reducing contamination of stored water and improving public health
15