Aug 9, 2021

The Honours Programme: My experience in the Caribbean

During my second year of study I participated to the Honours programme, an extracurricular project that the HZ offers, through which students have the possibility to set their own research. With this blog I would like to tell you more about my adventure.

The project: Sint Maarten, what happens now?

Luc Beech (IB alumnus) and I decided to investigate the recovery of the water supply system of Sint Maarten after it was hit by hurricane Irma in September 2017.

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We investigated the relationship between the different stakeholders involved in the recovery process, in order to see how they interact between each other, what are their needs and how the whole network is working towards a full recovery.

The island is still devastated by the hurricane and it is going through a reconstruction process in order to ensure a high quality life to its inhabitants, but also to welcome again the big amount of tourists that every year came to see one of the most amazing places on the planet.

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How did we proceed?

We arrived on the island during the summer and we were lucky enough to meet people from different sectors such as NGOs, local government, inhabitants, water distribution and production companies...

All of them shared their view on the topic, explaining us the whole social, political and economical background of the island but also the current status of the supply system and the long term projects that will be necessary for a successful recovery in this field.

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What did this experience leave me?

During my stay in Sint Maarten I talked with professionals outside of my usual academic environment: I had the chance to learn how issues are tackled by the different bodies in charge and how they cooperate in emergency situations.

We are hoping that our research and the final result of our work will be able to help the island and lay the foundations for future projects.

The possibility of conducting a research on such an important and relevant water related topic was an opportunity to implement my curriculum with an out of the ordinary experience, giving me insights on problems that otherwise would feel really far away from my reality.

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The Honours Programme is a great opportunity for the students of the HZ and it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life, to know more about the Honours Programme go check this link. 

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