Paper details

Paper authors	Christiana Smyrilli
In panel on	Responsible Innovation: One Step Forward-Two Steps Back
Paper presenter(s) will be presenting	In-Person / Online

Abstract

Hurricane Maria, which hit Puerto Rico in 2017, had disastrous impacts on the island’s electricity, water or communications services. A two-week long study was carried out to identify and understand the impacts related to water, sanitation and hygiene in rural communities in Puerto Rico. The study also aimed to identify potential innovations and interventions, and prepare recommendations on disaster response and preparedness for both local and international organizations. Data was collected through Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and individual interviews, as well as sketch modeling activities which were carried out during FGDs. The problems identified by the participants themselves were classified into 9 thematic categories, facilitating qualitative and quantitative analysis. The most frequently mentioned problem categories overall were found to be ‘health and hygiene’ issues due to the insufficient water quantity and unsafe water quality, doing ‘laundry’, the ‘physical effort’ various household tasks require due to the lack of piped water, and ‘showering’. The results also indicated that taking ‘two steps back’ in terms of the technology interventions, might be a more appropriate solution to the issues faced. Therefore, recommendations include community trainings and sharing of ideas for home-made solutions, as well as provision of off-grid technologies during disaster response.

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