Go Austin/Vamos Austin (GAVA) is a coalition of residents, community leaders, and nonprofits working to improve the health of the predominantly underserved and underrepresented communities of Austin, TX. They envision an Austin where everyone has access to nutritious food, active living, and a safe, stable neighborhood. Founded in 2012, GAVA’s original focus was on childhood obesity, yet after two devastating floods inundated their southeast Austin neighborhoods, the group’s scope expanded to address health and climate issues defined by the community – including flooding. Health and permanency, specifically regarding flooding mitigation and the right to stay in neighborhoods most impacted by natural disasters and social disparities are of critical concern. Increasingly severe flooding and drought mixed with inequitable land use, outdated stormwater infrastructure, watershed management, gentrification, and prohibitive flood insurance rates have intensified and galvanized GAVA’s mission.
GAVA is a women-of-color led organization, with the majority of staff coming from or currently living in and sharing similar life experiences with the residents of the neighborhoods they serve. GAVA has collaborated with University of Texas, the City of Austin, St. Edwards University, and residents to examine long-standing climate-related issues due to inadequate infrastructure and investment. Addressing the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council, GAVA called for a ban on redevelopment in already flooding areas and prioritized funding for updating storm drainage infrastructure in communities most impacted by climate shocks and stressors. As well, they advocate for increased green infrastructure and nature based solutions to improve access to recreation, reduce chronic illnesses, and reduce or eliminate the risk of repetitive flood damage. Supported by a National Science Foundation grant, researchers gathered lived, personal experiences from residents, an area often overlooked in favor of numerical data and maps. “They are the ones with the knowledge and science,” GAVA’s Frances Acuña says of UT. “But we have the life experiences in our neighborhood. We are the ones who feel the force of the water.”
GAVA residents, alongside partners at Community Resilience Trust and the University of Texas’ School of Architecture, developed a resilience portal to guide people, organizations, and networks in climate emergencies, and provide data for long term policy decisions related to disaster preparedness.