The Providence Resilience Partnership (PRP) was launched in 2019 by leading businesses, academic institutions, civic groups and residents concerned about Providence’s future. The primary goal of the PRP is to increase the city’s resilience to the impending threats of climate change. To help understand the situation, a report entitled Towards a Resilient Providence written by Pam Rubinoff, identifies the risks threatening the city including storm surge, sea-level rise, and the increasing intensity and frequency of precipitation events. The report emphasizes the urgent need for action, as environmental conditions are projected to worsen with climate change, and existing infrastructure may not be sufficient for risk mitigation.
The report synthesizes what is known about Providence’s current infrastructure, climate challenges, and recent initiatives, and it outlines recommendations to move towards a resilient Providence. The hope is that the results generated from this research will help to inform the community, guide conversations about planning, and build consensus around actions. The report covers overarching themes in three different areas of the city: Port Area, Downtown, and Woonasquatucket River Corridor. Additionally, the report examines three critical infrastructure assets: the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier, wastewater treatment, and stormwater systems.
With the completion of the PRP synthesis — Towards a Resilient Providence, the question of what to do next becomes central to the conversation in order to maintain momentum. This research identifies infrastructure concerns through the lens of changing conditions. Over the years, there have been different efforts to study the region. However, these initiatives were restricted to individual components, effectively identifying symptoms of the problem, but failing to comprehend its full extent. Previous initiatives have been siloed with limited integration across disciplines. Another goal of the PRP report is to create a collaborative resource and to find a way to connect initiatives. Water knows no municipal boundaries, and different systems, such as wastewater, stormwater, and drinking water, are managed under different management schemes. Successful management requires integrated thinking.
Another unique aspect of the report is that the information generated can potentially be applied to environmental justice initiatives. Climate justice is particularly relevant today given the global pandemic and social challenges. The report’s content is primarily based on existing information and has largely excluded new data related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, systematic inadequacies are recognized, and these require further examination through the analysis of demographic data. The study highlighted how frontline communities are disproportionately impacted by changing climatic conditions, and COVID-19 provides an additional challenge. The report reiterated the multiple and potentially multiplicative challenges facing frontline communities. Data are critical to effectively building resilience, and strong emphasis is made to examine social aspects that are important to the health and welfare, economy, and society in Providence. Future initiatives should incorporate these factors to promote climate equity and human and ecological well-being. To learn more, the full report can be found here.
In sum, while there is still much to do to move towards a more resilient Providence, the report can be a catalyst to help the PRP mobilize action and achieve progress.