CNIC: U.S.-Nepal Collaborative Research to Assess and Mitigate Pollution in the Densely Populated Kathmandu Valley

技术说明 该催化新国际合作 (CNIC) 奖支持美国与尼泊尔博士之间的合作。北爱荷华大学 (UNI) 的 Mohammad Iqbal 和特里布万大学 (TU) 地质系主任 Tara N. Bhattarai 负责加德满都谷地巴格马蒂河的环境研究。该项目的目标有三个：1）让美国学生了解尼泊尔的环境问题，2）与尼泊尔同行合作制定可适用于国内和国际的实地程序，3）进行创新研究并交流技术专业知识，以防止环境进一步恶化。近几十年来，由于人口急剧增加和城市发展，巴格马蒂河受到严重污染。 TU将为数据分析和管理以及项目协调提供实验室和办公空间。巴特拉伊博士将协助访问加德满都水文和气象部 (DHM) 维护的水文和气象数据库。该提案要求为本项目第一阶段提供资金。 研究人员将运用科学原理和方法来解决重要的环境问题。教师和学生将专注于为人口稠密的城市环境中受污染的水体制定有效的水文评估方案。水和沉积物分析的详细程序将应用于巴格马蒂河研究。将研究水文特征以绘制污染热点地图，从而制定最佳管理实践指南。城市加速发展对流域造成的严重破坏是一个世界性问题。在全球范围内，环境政策制定者正在寻找流域管理的新方法。巴格马蒂研究将深入了解对于理解城市污染物的时间和空间分布至关重要的要素。更广泛的描述这项调查建立了城市流域研究的三个关键方面之间的联系：生态系统管理、环境健康和文化意识。淡水稀缺目前被认为是 21 世纪最大的挑战之一。研究小组建议通过分享技术知识、专业知识和资源来应对这一挑战，从而减少人口稠密的加德满都谷地环境污染的影响。该项目将为美国学生在国际地点获得体验式学习创造独特的机会。他们将与尼泊尔学生一起在互动学习环境中进行团队合作，其中包括观察、数据综合、科学推理和结论。美国和尼泊尔学生将学习理解不同的文化观点，对于 PI 来说，该项目将有助于提高教学效率和与国际合作伙伴合作的能力。该 CNIC 奖项的后续提案将提交给 NSF/DUE 改善本科生 STEM 教育 (IUES) 计划。

Technical description This Catalyzing New International Collaboration (CNIC) award supports the U.S.-Nepal collaboration between Drs. Mohammad Iqbal, University of Northern Iowa (UNI) and Tara N. Bhattarai, Head, Department of Geology, Tribhuvan University (TU) for environmental research on the Bagmati River in the Kathmandu Valley. The goal of this project is three-fold: 1) provide US-students with exposure to environmental problems in Nepal, 2) engage with the Nepalese counterparts to develop field procedures that may be applicable nationally and internationally, and 3) conduct innovative research and exchange technical expertise to prevent further degradation of the environment. The Bagmati River has become highly polluted in recent decades due to the dramatic increase in population and urban development. TU will provide laboratory and office space for data analysis and management, and project coordination. Dr. Bhattarai will facilitate access to the hydrologic and meteorological data base maintained by the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM) in Kathmandu. This proposal requests funding for the first phase of this project. The investigators will apply scientific principles and methodology to solve an important environmental problem. Faculty and students will focus on developing an effective hydrological assessment scheme for a polluted body of water in a densely populated urban setting. A detailed procedure for water and sediment analysis will be applied to the Bagmati River study. The hydrologic characteristics will be studied to develop maps of pollution hotspots in an attempt to develop best management practice guidelines. Severe damage to watersheds resulting from accelerated urban growth is a worldwide problem. Globally, environmental policy makers are looking for new approaches to watershed management. The Bagmati study will provide insights into elements that are of primary importance to understanding temporal and spatial distribution of urban pollutants.Broader description This investigation establishes linkages among three critical aspects of urban watershed studies: ecosystem management, environmental health, and cultural awareness. Scarcity of fresh water is currently recognized as one of the greatest challenge of the 21st century. The research team proposes to deal with this challenge by sharing technical knowledge, expertise, and resources that will reduce the impact of environmental pollution in the densely populated Kathmandu Valley. The project will create unique opportunities for US students to gain experiential learning at an international location. They will work as a team with Nepalese students in an interactive learning environment that includes observation, syntheses of data, scientific reasoning, and conclusions. US and Nepalese students will learn to understand different cultural perspectives, and for the PI, this project will contribute to teaching effectiveness and the ability to work with international partners. A follow-on proposal to this CNIC award will be submitted to the NSF/DUE Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUES) program.