CNH-Ex: Water Quality and Environmental Health in Botswana: Coupled Dynamics in a Water-Scarce Environment

CNH-Ex：博茨瓦纳的水质和环境健康：缺水环境中的耦合动态

• 批准号: 1114953
• 负责人: Kathleen Alexander
• 金额: $ 25万
• 依托单位: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-09-01 至 2013-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1114953&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CNH; Ex; Water; Quality; Environmental

Water-restricted environments that experience strong seasonal variation are extremely vulnerable to landscape alteration and pollution from human activities. Increasingly, degradation of limited water resources is identified as an important and urgent problem facing much of the world, in particular Africa. This research project will evaluate coupled human and ecological drivers influencing water quality, and the health of human and animal populations in the Chobe River Region of Botswana. The investigators will use Escherichia coli as a model microorganism to track transmission linkages between the Chobe River and different trophic guilds of wildlife, domestic animals, and humans in the system. Using predictive models calibrated with field samples the researchers will investigate long-term effects of climatic changes; seasonal variation in hydrology; increases in human population; and landscape modification impacts on water quality and human and animal health. This project will identify markers of high-risk environments where coupled human-natural systems influence water quality, forming the foundation of an early-warning system that can be used by communities and governments to improve preparedness and interventions. This project integrates educational and government outreach into a research approach, which aims to develop a more predictive and fundamental understanding of the present and future impact of coupled dynamics of societal change and development on water quality and health and the potential long-term influence of climate change on these interactions. This research project establishes multidisciplinary scientific networks and international partnerships. The project will support a graduate student-training program between the USA and Botswana, which is integrated with a multifaceted outreach program directed at Botswana youth living in the study area. This approach will strengthen cross-cultural understanding and minority-leadership capacity in scientific discovery. This study promises direct benefits to society through the translation of research findings into developmental policy that will promote the sustainability ecosystems on which human populations depend. Results from this project will advance our understanding of coupled human-natural systems and the influence this has on water quality and health for humans, livestock, and wildlife.

经历强烈季节变化的限水环境极易受到景观改变和人类活动污染的影响。有限水资源的退化日益被确定为世界许多地区，特别是非洲面临的一个重要和紧迫的问题。该研究项目将评估影响博茨瓦纳乔贝河地区水质以及人类和动物种群健康的人类和生态耦合驱动因素。研究人员将使用大肠杆菌作为模型微生物来追踪乔贝河与该系统中不同营养行业的野生动物、家畜和人类之间的传播联系。研究人员将使用实地样本校准的预测模型来调查气候变化的长期影响；水文季节变化；人口增长；以及景观改造对水质以及人类和动物健康的影响。该项目将确定人类-自然耦合系统影响水质的高风险环境的标志，形成预警系统的基础，社区和政府可以利用该预警系统改进备灾和干预措施。该项目将教育和政府外展活动纳入一种研究方法，其目的是对社会变化和发展的耦合动态对水质和健康的当前和未来影响以及气候变化对这些相互作用的潜在长期影响有更预测性和更基本的了解。该研究项目建立了多学科科学网络和国际伙伴关系。该项目将支持美国和博茨瓦纳之间的研究生培训项目，该项目与一个面向生活在研究地区的博茨瓦纳青年的多方面外展项目相结合。这种方法将加强跨文化理解和科学发现中的少数民族领导能力。通过将研究成果转化为促进人类赖以生存的可持续生态系统的发展政策，这项研究有望为社会带来直接利益。该项目的结果将促进我们对人类-自然耦合系统及其对水质和人类、牲畜和野生动物健康的影响的理解。