Doctoral Dissertation Research: Assessing the Impact of International Accords on Local Environmental Governance

这篇博士论文研究改进项目分析了最近的国际环境雅阁对地方环境治理的影响。 早期的环境协定侧重于国际禁止的承诺，而最近的国际协定则以不同的国家办法为基础。 这项研究解决了在理解弱势群体及其利益如何与国家自主贡献的新国际体系互动方面的差距。 鉴于农业社区特别容易受到日益增加的环境变化的影响，需要由地方社区详细分析新的国际协定的影响。 这项研究将使人们更好地了解环境脆弱和粮食无保障社区农民的利益如何与国家对国际协定的贡献相互作用，从而对农业部门的环境适应努力产生影响。这项研究预期通过将注意力转向地方优先事项和倡议，查明国家根据国际协定作出贡献的机会。 为此，该项目将让地方、区域和国家利益攸关方和决策者参与。 作为论文研究改进奖，对这项分析的支持有意义地推进了学生的研究生涯。该研究回答了三个问题：（1）国家政府如何将其国家计划与有关粮食不安全的地方政策和项目实施计划相结合？(2)一国政府的国际承诺内容如何影响国际资助的粮食安全倡议的优先事项设定、实施和关系？国际协定的国别结构如何影响地方利益的纳入？ 在南非案例研究的背景下，博士生将使用混合方法进行研究，包括与外交官和政府代表的访谈，与市政官员，推广人员和社区组织的访谈，与小农户和社区居民的访谈，以及在当地社区观察国际资助的适应项目。这项研究还将纳入国家可持续发展计划和政策等现有数据。 该项目将为理解地方层面的国际协议的制定做出贡献，并有可能推进环境治理理论，因为该研究将评估政策和治理规模的优先事项的一致性。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This doctoral dissertation research improvement project analyzes the impact of a recent international environmental accord on local environmental governance. In contrast to earlier environmental accords, which concentrated on internationally-proscribed commitments, recent international agreements are based on diverse national approaches. This research addresses a gap in understanding of how vulnerable communities and their interests interact with the new international system of nationally-determined contributions. Given that farming communities are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of increasing environmental variability, detailed analysis of the implications of the new international agreements by local communities is needed. The research will enhance the understanding of how the interests of farmers in environmentally vulnerable and food-insecure communities interact with national contributions to international accords, with implications for environmental adaptation efforts in the agriculture sector. The research anticipates identifying opportunities for national contributions under the international agreements by directing attention to local priorities and initiatives. To that end, the project will engage local, regional, and national stakeholders and decision-makers. As a Dissertation Research Improvement Award, support for this analysis meaningfully advances the student's research career.The research answers three questions: (1) How does a national government align its national plans with local policies and project implementation plans regarding food insecurity? (2) How does the content of a national government's international commitment affect priority-setting, implementation, and relationships around internationally-funded food security initiatives? And,(3) How does the country-by-country structure of the international agreement affect the inclusion of local interests? In the context of a South African case study, the doctoral student will conduct research using mixed methods, including interviews with diplomats and government representatives, interviews with municipal officials, extension agents, and community organizations, interviews with smallholder farmers and community residents, and observation of internationally-funded adaptation projects in local communities. The research will also incorporate existing data such as national sustainable development plans and policies. The project stands to make contributions to understanding the enactment of international accords at the local level, and this has the potential to advance theory on environmental governance as the research will evaluate the alignment of policies and priorities across scales of governance.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.