Linking Global Change With Soil And Water Conservation In The High Andes

Ecuador Is One Of The First Countries Which Have Set The Environment As A National Priority. Ecuador'S Plan Nacional Del Buen Vivir Focuses On Conservation And Sustainable Management Of Natural Heritage And Biodiversity And Mitigation And Adaptation To Climate Change. Although The Country Is Making Important Institutional Reforms, Higher Education Institutions Still Have Limited Research And Teaching Capacities To Tackle These Interdisciplinary Societal Challenges Effectively And Efficiently. In Particular, Fundamental Aspects Of Natural Resource Management Including Institutional, Socio-Economic And Environmental Contextual Factors Remain Poorly Understood. The Project Will Contribute To Sustainable Ecosystem Management By Strengthening Evidence-Based Research On Conservation And Restoration Of Páramo Soils, And On Their Vital Hydrological Regulation Function In The High Andes. To Achieve This Goal, We Postulate That Interactions Between Soil, Water And Vegetation Across Different Temporal And Spatial Scales Must First Be Thoroughly Investigated At Sites Where The History Of Human Interventions Is Well Documented. This Approach Will Provide The Basis For Fostering Coordination, Data Sharing And Implementation Of Specific Research Activities. In Turn, This Will Significantly Improve The Interdisciplinary Dialogue, Collaboration And Synergy Between Scientists And Stakeholders Interested In Environmental Sustainability In The High Andes. Our Academic Partners In Ecuador Are Two Public Universities Located In The Two Largest Ecuadorian Andes Cities (Quito And Cuenca): The Escuela Politécnica Nacional And The Universidad De Cuenca. The Project Constitutes One Of The First Collaborative Research Initiatives Between These Two Institutions; It Will Enhance South-South Collaboration.