What we do
Through our programmatic work, we advocate for flood protections, hold water polluters and those in power accountable, and develop tools for communities and leaders to advocate for water justice. We bring together science, law, and advocacy to build power, fill gaps in regulatory enforcement, and push back against irresponsible development. BCWK plays a role as a strategic liaison between community partners on the ground and with local/regional level decision-makers and policymakers. The following themes currently inform our programmatic work: Clean Water, Wetland Protection, and Just Climate Transitions.
In order to address the multiple root causes of the water challenges facing Houston communities, BCWK is guided by a theory of change in which the community is at the center of our work, and five core strategies are utilized:
1) Policy and legal research and advocacy
2) Community education and capacity building
3) Actions and campaigns
4) Data, toolkits, and maps
5) Narrative change tools
Each of these strategies is implemented within our program areas of Clean Water, Wetlands, and Just Climate Transitions. We are bound by our organizational values – interconnectivity, fluidity, bold action, justice and equity, and regeneration. By approaching the issues in a comprehensive way, we can ensure that the solutions our communities are spearheading on the ground are locally sustainable and are accompanied by larger statewide efforts to make a systemic change towards one-water climate adaptation, water justice, just watershed investment, and rights of nature.