Multimillion dollar grant awarded to Rutgers for climate resilience projects

Rutgers is set to receive around $16 million of a $72.5 million federal grant that aims to strengthen New Jersey's coastal areas in preparation against climate change emergencies, according to a University press release.

Awarded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the new Building a Climate Ready New Jersey program has a five-year plan to launch projects such as flood mitigation across the state. 

The University itself will be leading multiple shovel-ready green infrastructure projects in Newark, Perth Amboy and Paterson. These projects help manage stormwater and provide training to community members on continued maintenance, according to the release. 

The goal is to build rain gardens, which are constructed into curbs and create temporary underground ponds. This would help alleviate overflows of sewage into the streets during heavy rainfall, as the combined system of pipes under the cities cannot sufficiently hold stormwater. 

The press release said that systems like these rain gardens and permeable parking lots could reduce flooding and excessive heating in urban areas, which may save money in the long term. 

Christopher Obropta, a professor from the Department of Environmental Sciences at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences who will lead many of the green infrastructure projects, is looking to partner with Kean University in order to develop a certification program that would award local residents the expertise to maintain these climate frameworks.