Doctoral Dissertation Research: Social-Environmental Feedbacks Between the Use and Governance of Water and Soil in Dryland Irrigation Megaprojects

这篇博士论文研究改进项目将审查旱地灌溉巨型项目以及在水和灌溉土地的使用和治理方面的相关变化。干旱地区的大型灌溉工程在全球农业发展中占有重要地位。规划和政策实体往往把重点放在农民灌溉用水的经济效益上。然而，灌溉土壤往往是随着灌区建设而产生的生态和社会冲突的核心。这些冲突包括土壤质量下降，农业径流造成的水污染，以及投资者大举收购土地导致当地农民流离失所。因此，本研究将探讨大型灌溉工程的社会和生态效应，以及相关的灌溉水和土壤的治理政策和实践。这项研究将有助于对治理中的社会环境反馈进行学术和政策考虑。该项目的更广泛影响将(1)致力于改善灌溉基础设施的发展，(2)加强对灌溉土地的管理，以确保提高土壤和水资源的可持续性，以及(3)鼓励确保更公平地获得灌溉土地的政策。在这项研究期间，不同的大学生将接受混合方法研究的培训。这一博士论文研究改进奖将为有前途的学生建立独立的研究生涯提供支持。本文研究了灌溉巨型工程、土壤管理措施和水土治理之间的相互作用和反馈。与灌溉有关的环境治理的学术重点是水的获取和控制问题。虽然重要，但更多的学术关注必须检查大型灌溉项目中土壤的中心地位。水和土壤利用和治理之间的耦合和紧张关系需要详细的实证研究，利用地理学和空间科学中的关键文献，特别是环境治理、耦合的人-环境系统和女权主义政治生态学。这项研究有三个问题：(1)从大型灌溉项目获得水如何影响土壤管理实践，特别是作物选择、作物轮作和农用化学品的应用？(2)社会和环境应激源如何影响土壤管理实践？(3)社会和环境应激源如何反馈到环境治理？本研究采用混合方法，包括变化检测分析、环境档案研究、参与者观察、调查、农场样带走访以及对农民、灌溉管理人员和政府官员的半结构化访谈。这项研究项目将为哥伦比亚和包括美国在内的其他地方的干旱地区灌溉发展和治理的可持续和公平方法提供新的见解。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势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 will examine dryland irrigation megaprojects and related changes in the use and governance of water and irrigated land. Irrigation megaprojects in arid landscapes feature prominently in agricultural development worldwide. Planning and policy entities often focus on the economic benefits of irrigation water for farmers. However, irrigated soils are often central to ecological and social conflicts that follow the construction of irrigation districts. Such conflicts include reduced soil quality, water contamination via agricultural runoff, and displacement of regional farmers by investors' large land acquisitions. Therefore, this research will investigate the social and ecological effects of irrigation megaprojects and the related governing policies and practices of irrigation water and soils. This research will contribute to scholarly and policy considerations of social-environmental feedbacks in governance. The broader impacts of this project will (1) work toward improved irrigation infrastructure development, (2) strengthen management of irrigated land to ensure increased sustainability of soil and water resources, and (3) encourage policy that ensures more equitable access to irrigated land. During this research diverse university students will receive training in mixed methods research. This Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement award will provide support to enable a promising student to establish an independent research career. This dissertation investigates the interactions and feedbacks between irrigation megaprojects, soil management practices, and soil and water governance. Scholarship of environmental governance related to irrigation has focused on issues of water access and control. While important, more scholarly attention must examine the centrality of soils within irrigation megaprojects. The coupling of and tensions between water and soil use and governance require detailed empirical examination that leverages key literatures within geography and the spatial sciences, particularly environmental governance, coupled human-environment systems, and feminist political ecology. Three questions guide this research: (1) How does access to water from irrigation megaprojects shape soil management practices, specifically crop selection, crop rotations, and applications of agrochemicals? (2) How do social and environmental stressors inform soil management practices? (3) How do social and environmental stressors feedback into environmental governance? This research employs a mixed methods approach including change detection analysis, environmental archival research, participant observation, a survey, farm transect walks, and semi-structured interviews with farmers, irrigation managers, and government officials. This research project will provide new insights regarding sustainable and equitable approaches to irrigation development and governance in dryland areas in Colombia and elsewhere, including the United States.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.