This project builds upon another NSF-funded study, The Qualities of Water (NSF-BCS #0078891, 2000-04), in which the diversity of water resources and the social life of water in Leukerbad, Switzerland, were studied from geochemical and anthropological points of view. A key concern that emerged from that work was the need to understand the potential impacts of climate change on Leukerbad's waters. The specific objectives of this Cultural Anthropology Scholars award are to 1) learn about the range of different types of climate models that exist, and learn to use these models with specific reference to climate change impacts on water resources in the Swiss Alps and the American Rockies; and 2) gain insights into mainstreaming climate modeling data and subsequent international and national policy initiatives into the water resources management process at a more local level. More broadly, it will show how anthropological methods and theories can complement climate change and hydrology research, not only by communicating the perspective of the scientific community to local peoples, but also by presenting local understandings of environmental conditions, problems, and solutions to the global scientific and policymaking communities, and helping to effect mutually agreeable solutions. This project focuses on acquiring the necessary technical skills to use earlier work, an ethnography focused on a single Swiss community's water resources, as well as ongoing comparative work in Colorado, to move to the next step: examining how local decision-making processes for water management issues in relation to climate change impacts can be improved by bridging the gap between global level modeling and policies, an area recommended for increased research support by the National Academy of Sciences in 2004.
