Clean Water and Sanitation – For the Community

Community Engagement for a Sustainable Future

At Florida International University, our goal is to inspire the next generation and engage communities in our solutions-based work that is supporting good water management. This includes educational opportunities for our local communities as well as communities throughout the world. We also collaborate with local, regional, national and global governments on water security and sustainable management. We invite you to explore how FIU is committed to CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION for all.

Explore FIU's educational opportunities for Clean Water and Sanitation

Through public lectures, professional workshops and trainings, K-12 enrichment, interactive exhibits and more, FIU provides educational programming for people of all ages about good water management and conscious water usage. Explore all FIU has to offer.

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**CASE Education Outreach Team**
FIU’s College of Arts, Sciences & Education connects lifelong learners with real university research through its Education Outreach Team. We provide a range of experiences, from at-home activities to community events, summer camps and more. We maintain collaborative partnerships with corporations and community organizations and offer volunteer service opportunities.
Learn about the Ed Outreach Team

**Urban Resilience to Extremes Sustainability Research Network**
The UREx SRN focuses on integrating social, ecological and technical systems to devise and support urban infrastructure decisions in the face of climate uncertainty. It leverages a network of nine diverse cities, 65 experts, inclusive, participatory approaches, a workflow, education program and an evaluation plan.
Learn more about UREx SRN

**Urban Water Innovation Network (UWIN)**
FIU is part of a consortium of university and industry partners addressing water challenges across the United States. We are helping urban communities increase resilience of their water systems though education, research and collaborative projects with local governments and organizations.
Learn more about U-WIN

**International Community Education**
FIU’s International Water Program in the Institute of Environment has delivered clean water, sanitation and hygiene solutions to communities throughout the world through USAID-supported initiatives. Our teams focus on educating local residents on best practices, infrastructure improvements, and good water management.
Learn more about our efforts around the world

**Miami-Dade Environmental Education**
FIU has received a grant from Miami-Dade County for Environmental Education to support an accelerated education initiative and promote stewardship among local residents and businesses. Our team in the Institute of Environment works directly with communities, linking top scientists, educators, students and municipal leaders to develop sustainable solutions.
**Learn about the Miami-Dade effort**

**Long Term Ecological Research Program**
The NSF-supported Florida Coastal Everglades LTER Program is led by FIU and examines management of freshwater resources in one of the largest water restoration projects in the world. The FIU LTER Outreach Team provides free community programs to expand environmental literacy and participate in current science initiatives.
Learn more about Everglades Outreach

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Did you know?

FIU offers a Graduate Certificate in Water, Environment and Development Studies, providing a multidisciplinary education in the occurrence, characteristics and management of water resources.

Learn more about the certificate

Working with Local Communities

Through outreach and engagement programs, we are working with local South Florida communities to promote good water management and to protect our region's vitally important water resources. Below, you can explore some of the programs we offer for conscious water usage.

Find out how you can get involved

Explore our work in South Florida

From citizen science initiatives to water restoration projects, FIU is focused on Clean Water and Sanitation in our local communities.

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**Florida Coastal Everglades Long Term Ecological Research Network**
Researchers in FIU’s Institute of Environment are leading the science behind one of the largest ecosystem restoration projects on the planet — the Florida Everglades, an iconic and imperiled ecosystem that provides drinking water for 8 million people and supports Florida’s thriving economy.
Learn more about the FCE LTER

**PFAS Toxicity Study**
FIU scientists are working on the development of an analytical method to more reliably detect toxic forever chemicals at very low part per trillion levels in potable water supplies. In addition, they are developing a non-targeted approach to evaluate potential metabolites and transformation products in the local environment.
Learn more about the PFAS study

**Miami-Dade County**
FIU has received a grant from Miami-Dade County for Environmental Education to support an accelerated education initiative and promote stewardship among local residents and businesses. Our team in the Institute of Environment works directly with communities, linking top scientists, educators, students and municipal leaders to develop sustainable solutions.
**Learn about the Miami-Dade effort**

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UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Water Security

Bringing together research and education, the UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Water Security in FIU's Institute of Environment is addressing regional, national and global water security issues through interdisciplinary research and partnerships for sustainability.

Learn more about our Government Collaborations

Explore our work in international communities

FIU’s International Water Program in the Institute of Environment has delivered clean water, sanitation and hygiene solutions to communities throughout the world through USAID-supported initiatives supported. Our teams focus on educating local residents on best practices, infrastructure improvements, integrated water management policies, and research.

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**Haiti**
FIU engaged stakeholders at all levels including staffing, institutional partnerships, and community engagement plans for water availability, quality, and integrated water resources management in Northern Haiti. This also included partnership with two leading universities in Haiti. The project offered scalable, sustainable solutions that received buy-in from local communities and included improving local skill sets so management of reforms can be managed without the need for outside expertise. The implementation of this project was funded by the Inter-American Development Bank.
Read the executive summary

**Wami Ruvu Basin, Tanzania**
In the Wami Ruvu basin, FIU worked with local governments and NGOs to maximize the supply of clean safe water for basic needs while also creating opportunities for business ventures among local villagers so clean water could be a financial benefit in addition to a necessity. Micro-lending at the village level encouraged private investment. We helped foster 27 new village micro-savings and micro-financing programs that serve more than 25,000 people in the area. More than 70 water access points have been created serving some 16,000 people, and more than 20,000 people have completed sanitation and hygiene education.
Read Wami Ruvu project reports

**Burkina Faso, Mozambique and Tanzania**
Sub-Saharan African countries have large, well-experienced regional, national and international organizations in the water delivery, sanitation and hygiene field, yet local organizations lack the necessary technical capacity to solve challenges in these areas. FIU worked with local organizations in Tanzania, Burkina Faso and Mozambique to close the knowledge gap through technical training and education to help them develop sustainable, state-of-the art, locally tailored approaches to water delivery, sanitation and hygiene.
Read the Sub-Saharan project reports

**Morocco**
An FIU team traveled to the El-Haouz region of Morocco to increase access to drinking water, improve hygiene practices and encourage collaboration among local authorities to govern water. In the agricultural Doukkala Province, FIU worked with small farmers to improve their water-use practices which led to enhanced livelihoods and improved sustainability. The project brought clean water to hundreds of children in local schools, provided more than 1,000 people with improved access to sustainable water and educated 3,000 people on best hygiene practices.

**Ghana, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso**
This FIU-led and USAID-supported project increased access to safe water and sanitation as well as improved hygiene in Ghana, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. Our team introduced water and sanitation technology and promoted better hygiene at the community level through education. We used experiences from this project to develop models that could be scaled to other regions in Africa.
Read the West Africa project reports

**Rwanda**
FIU’s Rwanda Integrated Water Security Program improved the sustainable management of water quantity and quality to positively impact human health, food security, and resiliency to climate change for vulnerable populations in targeted catchments in Rwanda. The project included low-cost and innovative technologies for water supply, sanitation and agriculture, along with multiple-use water services, sanitation marketing and product/supply chain development. Simultaneously, program managers worked with local communities to educate and improve individual hygiene behaviors.
Read the Rwanda project reports

**Wakal River Basin, India**
FIU worked with local community partners along the Wakal River basin to support equitable access to and sustainable use of water resources. This included facilitating communication and collaboration among stakeholders, while building capacity of basin residents and local governments in water resources management. Our scientists studied locations of rainwater harvesting structures to measure rates of groundwater recharge. We coordinated training sessions for local governments and state-level representatives on topics in integrated water resources management to provide leaders with the tools to make more informed decisions about water management.
Read the India project reports

**The Pastaza River basin, Ecuador and Peru**
The Pastaza River basin begins in the Andes Mountains of Ecuador and ends at the Marañon River in Peru, which carries its waters into the Amazon. The lives of thousands of people are closely tied to the Pastaza River’s resources.
A team led by FIU established the regular collection of water data to be used by local authorities and formed local committees to participate in effective water management. The project also developed a fisheries management plan, advanced sound petroleum exploration management and promoted collaboration among native communities on both sides of the border.

**Republic of Georgia**
In this South Caucasus region of Europe, most of the population has access to potable water. The biggest issues here are waste management and conservation. Many surface waters are severely polluted, forests are illegally logged and grasslands are overgrazed. Inappropriate irrigation and agricultural practices have degraded large areas of arable land through erosion and salinization of soils. FIU worked with local officials to protect the water supply and promote the benefits of preserving the country’s abundant natural resources.

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Did you know?

An effort to save Kenya's mountain bongo antelope is also protecting the ecosystem that supplies 80 percent of Kenya’s people with clean, fresh water. FIU scientists are leading the bold international collaboration to restore the critically endangered species along Mt. Kenya. Learn more about FIU's efforts for Life on Land.

Working with Local, National and Global Governments

FIU is making critical contributions in research, management, policy and education to advance efforts for Clean Water and Sanitation. Our work includes collaborations with local, regional, national and global governments and our Institute of Environment houses the UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Water Security. Learn more about these collaborations.

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