The MDP Environmental Justice team focuses on developing long-term, collaborative strategies for addressing ecological challenges in Delta EJ communities. While the Mississippi Delta is one of the most environmentally rich regions, it is also burdened by inadequate infrastructure and policy safeguards. In years past, we have identified funding opportunities for improving drinking and wastewater infrastructure (see below). For the 2023-24 academic year, the team is conducting a comparative policy analysis to identify the best strategies for reducing the threat of pesticide drift.
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From 2020-23, the Environmental Justice team’s work focused on supporting Mississippians, particularly those individuals located in rural and under-served communities, in understanding and advocating for their rights to clean drinking water and effective wastewater systems. MDP conducted this work in partnership with attorneys at the Mississippi Center for Justice.
Water Infrastructure 
Funding Opportunities in Mississippi, published June 2023, describes current funding opportunities for water infrastructure projects in Mississippi communities.
Funding Disparities Among Mississippi Local Water Systems, linked below and published in 2022, is a culmination of 2 years of research and analysis on access to and distribution of funding for water infrastructure projects.
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Toolkits for local leaders to support access to the Mississippi state revolving loan funds for water projects are also available.
