IRES: U.S.-India Collborative Research on the Impact of Conversion from Intermittent to Continuous Water Supply in Hubli-Dharwad, India

1031194加州大学伯克利分校加州大学伯克利分校（University of California-Berkeley）教授卡拉·纳尔逊（Kara Nelson）将启动一项为期3年的学生国际研究经验项目，该项目以加州大学伯克利分校和印度多学科发展研究中心（Centre for multidisciplinary Development Research）研究人员现有的研究成果为基础。该中心是由印度社会科学研究理事会（Indian Council of Social Science Research）支持的国家机构。每年，四名伯克利大学的理工科研究生和本科生将有机会与印度同行就影响数以亿计无法获得安全用水的城市居民的重大环境问题进行跨学科研究。本研究的重点是将印度Hubli和Dharwad这两个孪生城市的城市家庭从间歇性供水改为连续供水的好处。在印度的城市，自来水供应是间歇性的，这使得管道容易受到污染，迫使家庭储存水。断断续续的供水对健康构成威胁，因为水质差和数量有限造成的疾病增加，以及疾病和应对费用带来的经济负担。持续供水有可能解决其中的许多问题；然而，很少有资料表明与转换有关的实际成本/收益。研究的总体目标是充分描述hublii - dharwad将自来水从间歇输送转变为连续输送所带来的水质效益，hublii - dharwad是南亚首批实施这种转变的城市之一。IRES学生将进行严格的跨学科研究，使用基于培养和分子的工具来检测微生物，传感器来测量物理化学水质特征，以及家庭调查。在实地学习中，学生将获得有关提供安全用水所面临挑战的第一手知识，以及一个低收入城市与世界上许多其他城市一样的更广泛背景和条件。拟议的研究将填补关于管道系统从间歇性供水转变为连续供水的潜在好处的关键知识空白，将确定导致这些系统污染的机制，包括家庭行为在水污染中所起的作用，并将开发低成本，创新的方法来使用传感器网络监测水质。该项目将为有动力的学生提供参与有意义的研究的机会，从而直接造福社会。他们将与外国对等机构的同行和导师以及将直接从这项研究中受益的当地人口建立网络。IRES的机会将提高学生在科学和工程方面的能力和知识，同时教授技能和理解，使他们能够在日益全球化的世界中合作和竞争。

1031194Nelson University of California-Berkeley IRES: U.S.-India Collaborative Research on the Impact of Conversion from Intermittent to Continuous Water Supply in Hubli-Dharwad, India University of California-Berkeley Professor Kara Nelson will launch a 3-year International Research Experience for Students project that builds on an existing research effort between UC Berkeley and Indian researchers at the Centre for Multi-Disciplinary Development Research, a national institute supported by the Indian Council of Social Science Research. Each year, four Berkeley science and engineering graduate and undergraduate students will have the opportunity to conduct interdisciplinary research with Indian counterparts on a significant environmental problem affecting hundreds of millions of urban residents that are without access to safe water. This research focuses on the benefits of converting from intermittent to continuous piped water supply to urban households in the twin cities of Hubli and Dharwad, India. In Indian cities, piped water is supplied intermittently, leaving pipes vulnerable to contamination and forcing households to store water. Intermittent supply poses a health threat from increased levels of illnesses caused by poor water quality and limited quantity, as well as an economic burden from the costs of illness and coping. Providing water continuously has the potential to solve many of these problems; however, little information is available on the actual costs/benefits associated with conversion. The overall research goal is to fully characterize the water quality benefits of conversion from intermittent to continuous delivery of piped water in Hubli-Dharwad, which is one of the first cities in South Asia to implement such a conversion. IRES students will conduct rigorous interdisciplinary research using culture-based and molecular tools to detect microorganisms, sensors to measure physicochemical water quality characteristics, and household surveys. In the field, students will gain first-hand knowledge of the challenges of providing safe water as well as the broader context and conditions in one low-income city that is like many others around the world. The proposed research will fill critical knowledge gaps about the potential benefits of converting from intermittent to continuous water supply in piped systems, will identify the mechanism that cause contamination in these systems, including the role that household behaviors play in water contamination, and will develop low-cost, innovative methods to monitor water quality using sensor networks. The project will give motivated students the opportunity to engage in meaningful research for the direct benefit of society. They will develop networks with peers and mentors from the foreign counterpart institutions, and with local populations that will benefit directly from this research. The IRES opportunity will improve students abilities and knowledge in science and engineering while teaching the skills and understanding to enable them to both collaborate and compete in an increasingly globalized world.