As he worked with Caribbean countries recovering from hurricane devastation, Dr Asad Mohammed found unexpected inspiration. As part of The UWI’s support efforts, he applied his expertise in city and regional planning. At the same time, he gained insight for a project which could pioneer lasting change in regional communities.

Dr Mohammed, a lecturer in the Department of Geomatics Engineering and Land Management within the Faculty of Engineering, observed instances where existing technologies could have helped solve issues, but countries did not have the technical capacity.

“That's why the idea of harnessing innovations and digital technologies and modelling came,” he explained.

It was the impetus for Harnessing Innovative Technologies to support Resilient Settlements on the Coastal Zones of the Caribbean (HIT RESET Caribbean).

Sponsored by the ACP-EU Research and Innovation Programme, and overseen by The UWI’s St Augustine Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (STACIE), HIT RESET Caribbean supports projects designed to increase resilience in coastal communities, and strengthen stakeholders’ ability to use information to improve policies.

Dr Perry Polar, Project Manager of HIT RESET Caribbean, said this is the first time the university is supervising grant money distribution to regional third parties as part of an organised grant programme. With 4.6 million euros in funding, it is STACIE’s largest venture.

Nine regional projects

The team is focusing on nine projects. They shortlisted entities which identified problems and solutions clearly. The projects had to be innovative, be easy to replicate, and support strong stakeholder involvement. Dr Mohammed said that stakeholder engagement is critical. They want to ensure stakeholders know their beneficiaries, and are linked with communities on the ground. It is important that their needs are heard, and they understand how this empowerment can improve the quality of their lives.

The nine projects include:

• Trinidad’s Caribbean Natural Resources Institute’s efforts to assess coastal vulnerability in several islands;
• An app enhanced by the University of Trinidad and Tobago to provide security for public transportation users;
• Habitat for Humanity Trinidad assessing coastal vulnerability and other data in communities;
• La Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM) in the Dominican Republic collecting data on urban heat indices;
• The Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute, Trinidad using available technology to monitor red palm weevils found in coconut trees;
• Spatial Innovation, Jamaica developing a data collection and management system designed to map and improve small communities;
• UTECH, Jamaica determining the boundaries of informal settlements;
• Smith Warner International, Dominica creating a model that predicts coastal erosion;
• Atom Solutions, Barbados developing an app to observe the movement of Sargassum seaweed in the ocean.

The team is determined that the data collected is not wasted. “The aim is to get that data into the hands of those people that can make use of it,” stated Dr Polar.

Innovation ecosystem

Dr Mohammed wants to ensure the projects are enduring, and with time, can benefit many communities.

“We are doing more than simply having nine specific applications,” he said. “We also address what is called the innovation ecosystem.”

Dr Polar explained that this ecosystem makes it “easy for us to start off with a project idea, get it funded to get the research done, [including] the testing, get it into the marketplace, internationally”.

Both Dr Mohammed and Dr Polar talk about the value of empowerment in these communities, ensuring the projects truly address local issues.

“It allows us to be closer to other parties, and we could really work together on finding better solutions” said Dr Polar, emphasising the importance of “community cohesion”.

“That is what is lacking in our Caribbean societies: that trust,” she said. “Trust is something that we've lost in communities, and these sort of projects can build back trust.”

Dr Mohammed anticipates that HIT RESET Caribbean will further cement The UWI’s regional role.

“We are providing leadership,” he declared. “I'm hoping the outcome of this will show the relevance of our institution and tertiary institutions, research, and innovation, and how it directly impacts the quality of life of people in Caribbean coastal communities.”

Find out more about HIT RESET Caribbean on their website https://hitresetcaribbean.org/.