Solutions Spotlight: How Communities Are Leading Efforts to Ensure Clean Water Access

Access to clean water is too often determined by where we live and the political and economic influence we have to demand it. Yet water is a critical part of a child’s environment, and disruptions in its availability and quality can impact young children’s development, with implications for their lifelong health and well-being. 

In this discussion, we explore how communities are mobilizing to address disparities in water access and climate-related threats that are directly affecting children and their caregivers.

This conversation is part two of our water webinar series. For part one, check out A Cascade of Impacts: A Discussion on the Many Ways Water Affects Early Childhood.

Panelists

Dana Eness

Dana Eness serves as the executive director of the Urban Conservancy, a nonprofit based in New Orleans. She has also been part of New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s Transition Team, serving on the Infrastructure Committee’s urban water subcommittee, and is a member of the Sewerage and Water Board’s Customer Advisory Committee and the WaterNow Alliance’s Equity Advisory Group to more directly assist those facing the “first and worst” consequences of flooding, contamination, and other impacts related to stormwater runoff.

Kealoha Fox, PhD

Dr. Kealoha Fox is the Deputy Director of the City and County of Honolulu’s Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency and Deputy Chief Resilience Officer for the island of O’ahu, Hawai’i. She brings over 20 years of experience in Native Hawaiian health, climate policy, and social health integration, bridging Indigenous innovation with Honolulu’s efforts to create a more resilient future.