AOC - Evaluating the effects of dams on social dynamics.

这一探索性研究项目通过社会科学和生态科学的综合应用，调查大坝建设或拆除的社会动力。从以人类为中心的观点出发，我们正在评估水坝作为社区生态、经济和社会文化决定因素变化的推动者的作用。通过这一探索性项目，我们寻求1)促进国际和跨学科研究社区，2)开发一个平台，以同等方式比较描述生态、经济和社会文化决定因素的指标，3)在不同组织规模的社区上产生大坝建设(和拆除)的净影响指标，4)通过未来的合作扩大项目，以在新的大坝建设领域测试这个净影响指标。两个国际研讨会和科学综合状况为研究人员定义整合生态、经济和社会文化科学的框架提供了基础。这一框架建立在与大坝相关的风险和收益现有知识的基础上，以开发一种新的大坝对人的净影响指标。只有通过这种工具，才有可能进行多学科的成本效益分析，将生态和社会文化决定因素纳入传统的经济分析。这项合作研究的更大目标是研究大坝对云南省中国的一个大坝前社区和一个大坝后社区的影响，那里的大坝建设正在推动快速的生态、经济和社会变化。这将使政策制定者和科学家能够解决重要的管理和科学问题，例如在文化和地理定义的社区之间在成本和收益分配方面是否存在差异。布罗德影响-我们相信，我们项目的结果可能会导致制定更公平的战略，以管理和减轻世界各地大坝的风险和收益。拟议的净影响指标将与那些寻求通过大坝建设满足日益增长的淡水和电力需求的国家以及那些计划拆除大坝的国家具有全球相关性。由于这项研究汇集了研究型大学、本科学院和政府研究机构中不常见的合作学科和教师，初级和高级教师之间以及具有不同经验、研究重点和视角的研究人员之间将形成持久的关系。此外，这项探索性研究将产生更广泛的影响，为两名代表性不足的本科生提供综合的、国际化的研究和教育体验。

This exploratory research project is investigating the social dynamics of dam construction, or removal, through the integrated application of social and ecological sciences. Working from an anthropocentric viewpoint, we are evaluating the role of dams as agents of change on the ecological, economic, and socio-cultural determinants of a community. Through this exploratory project, we seek to 1) promote an international and interdisciplinary research community, 2) develop a platform for equivalently comparing metrics describing ecological, economic, and socio-cultural determinants, 3) produce a net-effect indicator of dam construction (and removal) on communities of various organizational scales, 4) expand the project through future collaborations to test this net-effect indicator in areas of new dam construction.INTELLECTUAL MERIT: The key innovative features of this project are in the international and interdisciplinary study of dams as agents of change on social dynamics. Two international symposia and a state of the science synthesis provide the foundation from which investigators are defining a framework to integrate the ecological, economic, and socio-cultural sciences. This framework is built upon existing knowledge of the risks and benefits associated with dams to develop a new net-effects indicator of dams on people. Only through such a tool will it be possible to conduct a multi-disciplinary cost-benefit analysis that incorporates ecological and socio-cultural determinants into traditional economic analyses. The larger objectives of this collaborative research are to study the effect of dams on one pre-dam and one post-dam community in the Yunnan province of China, where dam construction is driving rapid ecological, economic and social change. This will allow policymakers and scientists to address important management and science questions, such as whether a difference exists in the distribution of costs and benefits between culturally and geographically defined communities.BROADER IMPACTS - We believe that the results of our project may lead to the formulation of more equitable strategies for managing and mitigating the risks and benefits of dams around the world. The proposed net-effects indicator will be globally relevant to those seeking to meet increasing demands of freshwater and electricity through dam construction, as well as to those planning dam removals. Because this study brings together infrequently partnered disciplines and faculty from a research university, an undergraduate college, and government research institutions, lasting relationships will be formed between junior and senior faculty and between researchers with diverse experiences, research focuses, and perspectives. In addition, this exploratory study will create broader impacts by providing for an integrated, international research and education experience for two underrepresented undergraduate students.