Negotiations and Impacts: Great Western Development, Rural Peasants, and Water Policy across China?s Loess Plateau

在这个项目中，PI团队建议通过(1)建立一个多学科的协作研究项目，研究国家和省级政策对中国最脆弱的生态系统之一--黄河黄土高原--的经济增长和环境资源管理的影响，从而增加社会科学本科生的招生和留住；(2)专门关注当地用户(农村农民)的水资源管理。这项工作将通过建立四个国际性、多学科和由教员指导的研究小组来完成。每个小组将选择一个经济学、生物学或社会学的研究问题，设计研究议程，并在农村开展社会科学的初步研究。通过村级调查、访谈、研究观察和档案研究，教师导师将带领学生踏上一段发现之旅，以确定水资源政策如何影响黄土高原的侵蚀速度，以及可以采取哪些措施来制定有效的解决方案。这一建议部分基于私人投资机构以前工作中最成功的元素，以及他们目前的意图，即建立保护和土地利用数据库，关注优先领域，扩大和深化国际合作，并继续让学生参与具有科学、国家和全球意义的国际研究。尽管他们之前的工作主要集中在城市主题上，但这项提议跟踪了人们对农村问题日益增长的学术和应用兴趣。这是一个当前感兴趣的话题，因为尽管西北地区中国80%的用水用于农业，这是由偏远村庄的单个家庭完成的，但是否/如何在田间实施节约措施并没有很好的文献记录。智力优势：这一建议在水资源管理研究中是独一无二的，因为它将解决农村问题，而不是城市问题--一个显著的区别是，中国西北的大部分水用于农业，而不是市政或工业目的。据信，这项工作最重要的贡献之一是，它将为世界上最脆弱的生态系统之一-S-的关键水研究和规划提供一个数据库。研究团队的特点是由多学科的国际导师组成的独特组合，他们利用国际、学术和应用背景来完成更传统团队无法完成的工作。PIs在西北中国有10多年的研究经验，包括之前两个项目的设计和管理，这两个项目为这项建议提供了经验背景，自2001年以来，50多名学生做出了大量的科学和社会贡献。此外，它强化了学术和国家对公民参与的需求，因为它将科学置于规划舞台的中心，而不是边缘。它每年将支持四名导师、两名研究生助理和12名来自美国的本科生。同样数量的中国教师和学生将参与并得到本国机构的支持。广泛的影响：这项工作将在发现当前的保护做法和影响它们的参数方面发挥关键作用。将根据国家和国际需求提供一个切实可行的框架，以可持续的方式改善向人们提供的水的供应和质量。招聘将专门针对服务于代表性不足群体的本科院校。这项工作将为我们的中国合作伙伴提供社会科学和土地/资源管理方面的最新研究方法，同时通过在项目的各个方面注入教学、培训和新的学习方法，为参与者准备迎接21世纪多学科和基于国际的社会科学研究挑战。该奖项由国际科学与工程办公室(OISE)从其东亚和太平洋(EAP)项目联合资助。

In this project, the PI-team proposes to increase recruitment and retention of talented undergraduates in social science research by (1) establishing a multidisciplinary, collaborative research program on the impacts of nationaland provincial policies regarding economic growth and environmental resource management in one of China's most fragile ecosystems -- the Yellow River Loess Plateau and (2) focusing specifically on water resource management among local users (rural peasants). This work will be accomplished through the establishment of four international, multidisciplinary and faculty-mentored Study Teams. Each Team will select a research question in economics, biology, or sociology, design a research agenda and perform primary research in social sciences at rural villages. Through village-level surveys, interviews, researchobservations, and archival research, faculty mentors will lead students on a journey of discovery that will ascertain how water resource policies have affected the rate of erosion of the Loess Plateau and what can be done to fashion effective solutions.This proposal is based in part on the most successful elements of the PIs' previous work combined with their current intent to build the conservation and land use database, focus attention on priority areas, expand and deepen international collaboration and continue to engage students in international research with scientific, national and global relevance. Whereas their previous work concentrated primarily on urban themes, this proposal tracks increasing academic and applied interest in rural issues. This is a topicof current interest because although 80% of the water consumed in Northwest China is used in agriculture which is accomplished by individual families in isolated villages, whether/how conservation measures are implemented in the field is not well-documented.Intellectual merit: This proposal is unique among water resource management studies because it will address rural rather than urban issues -- a notable distinction in that most of the water in Northwest China is used for agriculture rather than municipal or industrial purposes. It is believed that one of the most significant contributions of this work is that it will provide a database for critical water research and planning in one of the world?s most vulnerable ecosystems. The Study Team features a unique combination of multi-disciplinary, international mentors who leverage international, academic andapplied backgrounds to accomplish work that more traditional groups cannot do. The PIs have over 10 years of research experience in Northwest China, including the design and management of two previous programs that provided the experiential background for this proposal and led to numerous scientific and social contributions of more than 50 students since 2001. Further, it reinforces both academic and national demand for civic engagement as it places science in the center rather than the periphery of the planning arena. It will support four mentors, two graduate assistants, and 12 undergraduates per year from the United States. An equal number of Chinese faculty and students willparticipate and be supported by their home institutions.Broader impacts: This work will play a key role in discovering current conservation practices and the parameters that influence them. A practicable framework for conservation in light of both national and international demand to improve the availability and quality of water to people in a sustainable manner will be provided. Recruitment will be specifically directed to undergraduate institutions that serve underrepresented groups. This work will provide access to current research methodologies in both the social sciences and land/resource management for our Chinese partners while preparing participants for the multi-disciplinary and international-based challenges of social science research in the 21st century by infusing teaching, training and new methods of learning in every aspect of the program.This award is co-funded by the Office of international Science and Engineering (OISE), from its East Asia and Pacific (EAP) program.