Basic Project Information:
Title: Technial and Academic Cooperation in Water Resources Between the PRWRERI and the INTEC (Dominican Republic)
Description: S-02
Start Date: 07/01/1998
End Date: 12/01/1999
Type: Conferences
Lead Institution: University of Puerto Rico

Principal Investigators:
Walter F. Silva: Associate Professor, University of Puerto Rico, Order 01Problem and Research Objectives

Floods in Dominican Republic killed more than 10,000 persons during the past years. Floods in this country produced losses to the economy for more than $30,000 million dollars during the last 10 years. Floodway Deliniation Maps are useful tools to reduce these disasters because, if used as regulatory maps, they help to establish flood potection measures for structures in the flood zones or even prohibit any construction in the high risk areas. The PRWRERI took the first step in providing this Caribbean Island the basic knowledge and techniques for the development of Floodway Deliniation Maps.

Methodology

The project consisted of an intensive technology transfer program to establish the basis for teaching the techniques and methodology to create floodway maps for the Dominican Republic. The project also strengthened the relation between researchers from both institutions in the area of water resources. The directors of the PRWRERI were the principal investigators and coordinators of the activities in Puerto Rico and Prof. Alfredo Abel was the coordinator for the Dominican Republic.

Three faculty members from INTEC visited the UPRM in February, 1999 and share ideas and possible collaborative projects with faculty members at the UPRM.

Professors Alfredo Abel from the Department of Civil Engineering and Cateri Catafesta from the Social Sciences Departent offered a conference on the effects of Huricane Georges on the Dominican Republic. The conference focused on the magnitude of the damage caused by this strong hurricane during its passing over this Caribbean Island. Students and faculty members of the UPRM attended this conference. Several meetings with colleagues interested in developing collaborative projects were also programmed.

The project also provided the opportunity to four faculty members from the UPR to offer a sequence of intensive courses to professionals and students from the Dominican Republic to provide them with the essential skills to create Floodwater Deliniation Maps. Floodway maps are commonly available in Puerto Rico from Flood Insurance studies. The Puerto Rico Planning Board uses them as the regulatory maps for Hydrologic and Hydraulic studies in the Island. The Dominican Republic is moving towards the development of a regulation for construction and creation of a building code. A classification of flood zones is essential to determine the flood projection measures for buildings inside these zones, as well as to establish regulations for these areas. Courses in hydrologic statistics, hydrologic modeling, hydraulic modeling and geographic information systems applied to water resources completed the training offered by the UPRM experts, coordinated by the PRWRERI, the Dominican Republic Engineers, students and other professionals attended the acivities offered from September to December, 1999.

Principal Findings and Significance

This project provided experience in international colaboration between the PRWRERI and other caribbean country. As a consequence of this project, the PRWRERI was invited to participate in a joint consulting project to develop hydrologic studies for one major river in the Dominican Republic. A letter of intention was submitted. Also, the directors of the PRWERI were invited to offer a Conference on the importance of Floodway Deliniation Maps in fromt of an international group assembled by the Dominican Government for the creation of Building Code for this country.

This project earned a Special Recognition Award from the Atlantea Project Evaluation Committee in May, 2000