This project on designing a rainwater harvesting system for a resort in the Dominican Republic has really sparked my interest in two new areas. The idea of saltwater intrusion is intriguing and incredibly multifaceted. I was born and raised on the coast of Virginia so I love water and love the beach. Unfortunately, however, coastlines all across the world are witnessing saltwater intrusion in various ways. The complex modeling and countless factors that are evaluated in order to calculate the rate and angle of saltwater intrusion is incredibly intricate. I am going to continue to learn more about the modeling that goes into evaluating saltwater intrusion after I complete this project.
The second area of interest is eco-tourism and the need to build sustainable tourism. I really fear that if more resorts and companies don’t start looking towards the environment, so many fragile and one-of-a-kind ecosystems could be lost forever. This project has definitely showed me the importance of looking to see if that future vacation destination is ecologically friendly. It has also made me question the idea of eco-tourism? I hope to evaluate a possible question such as "What is the biggest/smallest/longest/shortest impact on the environment when traveling?" and "What exactly is eco-tourism?"
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Salt water intrusion is becoming a major problem in many parts of the world, especially in communities that are affected by huge spikes in water demand (e.g., tourists) that coincide with the summer dry periods. A great example are the NJ beach communities where the US Geological Survey has spent millions studying impacts and potential remediation strategies (see http://pubs.usgs.gov/wri/wri014246/).
ReplyDeletethanks for the comment and the link! I'm definitely going to explore saltwater intrusion in my research projects this fall
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