AccelNet-Implementation: PEER2PEER International Convergence Research Networks in Transboundary Water Security

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Transboundary river basins cover about 72% of the U.S. landmass and more than 47% of the Earth’s land area, providing homes to 3 billion people in 150 countries. Shared by two or more countries, transboundary river basins are often hotspots for both water conflicts and efforts at cooperation. PEER2PEER, an implementation-track project, will advance transboundary water security research, education, and outreach by catalyzing novel international and interdisciplinary cooperation. This network of networks brings together networks managed by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and partner organizations in the United States, Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia. PEER2PEER leverages mature regional networks focusing on different aspects of transboundary water management, including the Partnership for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER) program, the Arab-American Frontiers of Science, Engineering and Medicine Program, and partnering international networks. PEER2PEER participants will synergize research initiatives, share data and tools, and foster collaboration in transboundary water security scholarship and capacity building. The project will create an innovative ecosystem designed specifically for translating engineering, physical science, and social science research into plans and policies for local, state, and national government agencies. PEER2PEER will develop rigorous training programs of the next generation of water scientists for addressing interdisciplinary challenges worldwide.PEER2PEER will collectively address critical gaps in transboundary water security research and education. One gap is the lack of scientific evidence on drought trends and variability, along with the corresponding disparate impacts on regional water security in different transboundary river basins. There is also limited understanding of how: (a) water security is affected by transnational propagation of the impact of extreme drought events through tele-connected food trade networks; and (b) socio-cultural context, levels of economic development, environmental concerns, and technical and political collaboration affect science diplomacy to support transboundary water security. This project will address the lack of knowledge exchange and data/tool sharing vehicle to leverage multiple data streams, including remotely sensed observations and ground-based data for transboundary drought monitoring, and the limited capacity and educational materials to prepare future researchers in interdisciplinary, holistic, convergent approaches in transboundary water security. PEER2PEER will feature workshops, technical trainings, faculty and student exchanges, field visits, outreach and dissemination. It will develop an online platform for network members to facilitate sustained engagement and research collaboration. Research data will be shared with network members through a partnership with the NSF-funded Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Sciences, Inc. The Accelerating Research through International Network-to-Network Collaborations (AccelNet) program is designed to accelerate the process of scientific discovery and prepare the next generation of U.S. researchers for multiteam international collaborations. The AccelNet program supports strategic linkages among U.S. research networks and complementary networks abroad that will leverage research and educational resources to tackle grand scientific challenges that require significant coordinated international efforts.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.