Bridging the Flood Risk Info Gap: Insights from a Journalist-Scientist Collaboration in Louisiana

As part of a special series supported by the Rita Allen Foundation, Questions of the Day host Fanuel Muindi talks with Christiaan Mader, Executive Director at The Current, and Emad Habib, Chair and Professor in the Civil Engineering Department and Director of the Watershed Flood Center at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. They discuss how their collaboration, funded by the Rita Allen Foundation, is bridging the gap between scientific research and public understanding of flood risks. Discover how their innovative flood guide and automated email system aim to keep communities informed and resilient. Learn about their mission to enhance public awareness, the challenges they face, and their plans for the future.

Some of what was said:
“We focus a lot on investigative enterprise journalism, asking more about the why and how rather than just what happened.” – Christiaan Mader
“Our role is to see how our science can help bridge the gap between different views and help communities become more resilient to flood risks.” – Emad Habib
“The goal is to create a communication system that provides timely and understandable information about flood risks to the public.” – Christiaan Mader

Chapters

0:35 – Intro
1:50 – About The Current
2:39 – Watershed Flood Center’s Role
3:59 – Collaboration Genesis
6:42 – Bridging the Gap
8:12 – Community Feedback
9:25 – Developing the Flood Guide
13:26 – Lessons Learned
15:29 – Measuring Impact
17:56 – Educational Benefits
19:20 – Future Vision

Related Readings:
Rita Allen Foundation Supports Civic Science Journalism Cross-Field Collaborations – https://ritaallen.org/stories/rita-allen-foundation-supports-civic-science-journalism-cross-field-collaborations/

Civic science journalism: How journalists and scientists are collaborating to serve communities and restore trust in their fields – https://civicsciencefellows.org/stories/civic-science-journalism-collaborations/

Civic Science Journalism: A look at 12 experimental projects – https://collaborativejournalism.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Rita-Allen-civic-science-report.pdf

Fanuel Muindi

Fanuel Muindi is a former neuroscientist turned civic science ethnographer. He is a professor of the practice in the Department of Communication Studies within the College of Arts, Media, and Design at Northeastern University, where he leads the Civic Science Media Lab. Dr. Muindi received his Bachelor’s degree in Biology and PhD in Organismal Biology from Morehouse College and Stanford University, respectively. He completed his postdoctoral training at MIT.