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

该奖项旨在支持北爱荷华大学(UNI)的Mohammad Iqbal博士和Tribhuvan大学(TU)地质学系主任Tara N.Bhattarai在加德满都河谷巴格马蒂河环境研究方面的美尼合作。该项目的目标有三个：1)向美国学生提供接触尼泊尔环境问题的机会；2)与尼泊尔同行接触，制定可能适用于国内和国际的实地程序；3)开展创新研究并交流技术专业知识，以防止环境进一步退化。近几十年来，由于人口的急剧增加和城市的发展，巴格马蒂河已经变得严重污染。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。Bhattarai博士将协助访问加德满都水文和气象部维护的水文和气象数据库。该提案要求为该项目的第一阶段提供资金。研究人员将应用科学原则和方法来解决一个重要的环境问题。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。巴格马提河研究将采用详细的水和泥沙分析程序。将对水文特征进行研究，以绘制污染热点地图，试图制定最佳管理做法指南。城市发展加速对流域造成的严重破坏是一个世界性的问题。在全球范围内，环境政策制定者正在寻找分水岭管理的新方法。巴格马蒂的研究将提供对了解城市污染物的时间和空间分布至关重要的要素的见解。这项调查在城市分水岭研究的三个关键方面之间建立了联系：生态系统管理、环境健康和文化意识。淡水短缺目前被认为是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，这些技术知识、专业知识和资源将减少人口稠密的加德满都山谷环境污染的影响。该项目将为美国学生创造独特的机会，让他们在国际地点获得体验式学习。他们将与尼泊尔学生在互动的学习环境中合作，包括观察、数据合成、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视角，对于PI来说，这个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/DUD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.