The Florida Water & Climate Alliance (FloridaWCA) is excited to welcome Debbie Griner as a new member of its Steering Committee. Griner serves as the Chief Resilience and Sustainability Officer at the Miami-Dade County Water and Sewer, which provides high-quality drinking water and wastewater disposal services for the county while providing for future economic growth. Griner will use her expertise to assist the FloridaWCA with its mission in fostering partnerships to co-develop and share locally relevant and actionable climate science, data, and decision support that promote sustainability in the water sector.

The FloridaWCA community extends its deepest gratitude to Dr. Tracy Irani for her years of dedication, leadership, and partnership. Her vision and commitment have left an enduring legacy, and we wish her all the best as she embarks on this exciting new chapter. See more about her impact on FloridaWCA here.

The Florida Water and Climate Alliance (FloridaWCA) was excited to host this special 1-hour webinar highlighting the next generation of leaders in water and climate science. Over 55 attendees representing academia, utilities, government agencies, water management districts, local government, and private consulting joined the event which brought together a dynamic lineup of emerging voices—including graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, and early-career professionals —who are shaping the future of water and climate resilience.

We are very excited to announce a new FloridaWCA cross-sector collaborative project! FloridaWCA members from the UF Water Insititute and Tampa Bay Water will work together with partners from UF/IFAS Nature Coast Biological Station and the US Geological Survey to bring together scientists and resource managers to identify knowledge gaps and foster sustained, solutions-driven collaborations to tackle Florida’s water and ecosystem challenges. Funding by the Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center will support a series of workshops to identify shared research and management priorities and co-develop a strategic roadmap for future collaborative action.

As variations in climate, population growth, policy changes, and competing water needs continue to pose challenges to water utilities, it is essential for utilities to think strategically and adopt resilient water infrastructure to ensure reliable and sustainable water and wastewater services for the communities they serve. This webinar explored innovative approaches to designing and implementing resilient water infrastructure and strategies including green infrastructure, constructed wetlands, advanced reclaimed water systems, leveraging real-time flood forecasting, and more!

The Florida Water& Climate Alliance welcomes Dr. Ricky Telg as a new member of its Steering Committee. Dr. Telg serves as a professor in the Department of Agricultural Education and Communication and the director of the Center for Public Issues Education at the University of Florida. The Steering Committee is excited to work with Dr. Telg to fulfill the FloridaWCA mission.

Florida is at the forefront of impacts from changing climate, including sea levels, rainfall, and weather events such as hurricanes. Resiliency initiatives are vital to help communities adapt to these changes, safeguarding infrastructure, protecting natural resources, and fostering sustainable economic growth. This hybrid webinar/ workshop cohosted by FloridaWCA and the Florida Flood Hub was attended by 39 experts in person with over 120 others joining virtually for the featured presentations. Presenters highlighted the resiliency efforts across the state, with a deep dive into the collaborative work being done at the Flood Hub through their Sea Level Rise and Rainfall Workgroups.

Approximately 100 participants attended the FloridaWCA webinar “Navigating the Atlantic Hurricane Season: Science, Strategies, and Successes,” held December 3rd. This webinar featured speakers from academia, the Florida Floodplain Managers Association, and water management districts. Topics covered included changes in water quality, economic impacts, return period estimates, flood resilience planning, and strategies for building partnerships to enhance resilience.

Dr. Jasmeet Judge, a Steering Committee Member, and Dr. Hui Wang from Tampa Bay Water, a utility partner of FloridaWCA, highlighted the importance of stakeholder-scientist partnerships for achieving lasting project impact at the NASA Water Resources Team Meeting, held September 17-19 in Cambridge, MA. They participated as panelists and shared the outputs of FloridaWCA’s NASA-funded project integrating NASA Earth Systems data into decision-making tools of member utilities.

Florida is at the forefront of climate change impacts, including rising sea levels, increased rainfall, and extreme weather events like hurricanes. Resiliency initiatives are vital to help communities adapt to these changes, safeguarding infrastructure, protecting natural resources, and fostering sustainable economic growth. This webinar cohosted by FloridaWCA and the Florida Flood Hub highlights the resiliency efforts across the state, with a deep dive into the collaborative work being done at the Flood Hub through their Sea Level Rise and Rainfall Workgroups.