Projects
COVID-19, Knowledge and Health in Remote Alaska Native Communities, funded by the National Science Foundation
The Water Center is working on a study with the University of Alaska-Anchorage Institute for Circumpolar Health Studies to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting remote Alaskan communities. Stay tuned for results, including descriptions of how community members are supporting each other during this difficult time!
https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2033192
Groundwater treatment, delivery and use in rural Alaska, funded by the National Science Foundation
The Water Center is partnering with the University of Washington to study contamination of groundwater sources with iron, manganese and arsenic in rural Alaska. The project seeks to address current and future climate triggered issues involved in the treatment, delivery and use of drinking water.
https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2022260
A Purpose-Driven Merger of Western Science and Indigenous Knowledge of Water Quality in Alaskan Communities, funded by the National Science Foundation
As for all other communities, the well-being of Alaska Native (AN) communities depends on access to safe drinking water. However, water pollution has remained a reality for many AN communities due to naturally occurring and man-made pollutants. Climate change, a rather slow but potentially catastrophic process, will likely exacerbate the water contamination problem by releasing entombed microorganisms, ancient organic carbon, nutrients, and metals through thawing of permafrost and melting of glaciers. While AN communities are highly vulnerable to such changes, they also hold valuable traditional knowledge about their water resources. In this project, the researchers aim to merge conventional scientific knowledge with indigenous knowledge of water to help Alaskans prepare for the future.
https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2022670&HistoricalAwards=false
PASS Health and Wellness Study:
The Portable Alternative Sanitation System (PASS) was developed by ANTHC and the community of Kivalina to meet the basic sanitation needs of residents of unserved communities in Alaska.
This includes handwashing, clean drinking water, safe human waste disposal, and quality of life improvements in the home. This study continues to investigate how the PASS system impacts the health and wellness of unserved Alaskan communities.