Project Overview

Many working-class communities in Savannah are vulnerable to climatic catastrophes like flooding and rains. These communities consisting of minorities have been neglected by the government for long periods. Smart Sea Level Sensors, a start-up funded by the government, aimed to address flooding on the east coast of the USA. They collected data and identified communities within Savannah that were most vulnerable and in need of help. Through this project, they wanted to understand how government funds could be effectively utilized to help these communities achieve climate-resiliency.

Tools Used

HMW (How Might We) Workshops

Design Thinking Framework

Primary and Secondary Research (literature review and ethnographic research)

Process

As an international student with no prior context, about the place and people, responsible for leading and running the project on my own, I started by collaborating with a local NGO that introduced me to the communities. I spent time with two of the oldest communities in Savannah namely the Pinpoint and the Woodville, to learn about their lives, issues, and gain their trust. After building a rapport, I conducted multiple design thinking workshops separately with each community to help them identify what their issues were and how they would like to address them using the funding, in order to become more climate resilient.

Outcome

The communities recognized the importance of investing in their own strength and independence. Some of the recommendations the communities made for utilizing the funds included:

Establishing community centers and providing funding for community-strengthening activities.

Building better schools and providing internet access for children to ensure quality education and self-sufficiency.

Establish grocery stores to gain access to quality food.

By focusing on these areas, the communities aimed to develop their own capacity and build a climate-resilient system, reducing their reliance on government aid during climatic catastrophes.