Andean-Amazonian Watershed Experience: Exploring Sustainability Of Mountain Ecosystems In Ecuador (Awesome)

Sustaining The Capacity Of Watersheds To Regulate And Filter Water Flows That Support Natural Ecosystems And A Growing Human Population, Is One Of The World?S Most Pressing Environmental And Social Issues, Especially In The Face Of Climate Change And Other Global Change Drivers. Addressing This Challenge Requires That Future Leaders Have A Strong Understanding Of The Science Of Watershed Sustainability And Complex Socioecohydrological Systems (Sehs), And The Ability To Apply That Understanding To Developing Effective Policy Solutions Using Transdisciplinary Approaches. This Ires Seeks To Develop An International Program For Undergraduate And Graduate Students, The ?Andean-Amazonian Watershed Experience: Exploring Sustainability Of Mountain Ecosystems In Ecuador? (Awesome). The Goals Of Awesome Are To, (1) Provide An International Research Experience That Enhances Student Understanding Of The Complex Dynamics Of Coupled Sehs In Response To Diverse Global Change Drivers, And (2) Investigate Science-Based Policies For Improving Watershed Sustainability. The Andean-Amazonian Region Of Ecuador ? With Its Range Of Water-Related Issues, Global Change Drivers, And Diverse Water Fund Policies ? Provides An Ideal Landscape For Engaging Students In International Research Experiences That Prepare Them To Tackle Complex Global Water Issues. Awesome Will Support 18 Students Over Three Years To Conduct Individual Research Projects Over Two Months At Two Sites In The Upper Andean-Amazonian Region: Alpine Paramo In The Paute Watershed, And Rainforest In The Napo Watershed. Students Will Be Supported By 26 Faculty Mentors From Three Collaborating Ecuadorian Institutions, The University Of Cuenca, The Regional University Of Amazonia, And The University Of Azuay, And 16 Unh Faculty Mentors From Diverse Disciplines. Two Cohort Experiences, An Orientation Watershed Tour And A Synthesis Workshop (10 Days Each), Will Introduce Students To Water Resource Science And Policy Across Diverse Natural Ecosystems And Human Communities, Foster Their Capacity Systems-Thinking And Inter/Transdisciplinary Analysis, And Help Them To Conceptualize Their Own Disciplinary Research Within Complex Sehs-Watershed Dynamics.