The goal of this Charter is to build a research team that is trained in systems thinking and is prepared to do ongoing convergent research to understand and influence the behavior of the Santa Fe Watershed system.
Objectives:
- Build a research team that is trained in systems thinking and is prepared to do ongoing convergent research to understand and influence the behavior of the Santa Fe Watershed system;
- Produce a scaffolding for iterative revision of conceptual and systems dynamics models to characterize the Santa Fe Watershed;
- Provide pathways towards ongoing convergent research including stakeholder partnerships and educational integrations,
Charter Summary:
Current methods to understand water resources tend to have a narrow focus (i.e. water availability), and do not incorporate other factors such as social relationships, policy, and changes in water infrastructure and usage. These models provide an incomplete understanding of our vital water resources. We are developing a new approach—the Collaborative, Adaptive, and Multi-Scale (CAMS) Systems Dynamics Modeling (SDM) method—to build a research team to study water resources in the Santa Fe Watershed, New Mexico from an interdisciplinary perspective.
This approach applies “systems thinking”—a collection of tools and ideas designed to uncover the inner workings of complex systems—as a method to engage and integrate the knowledge and interests of an interdisciplinary research team and to build models of water resources. We use the Santa Fe Watershed as a case study due to the confluence of challenges there that reflect water sustainability challenges throughout the western United States. Ultimately, the CAMS-SDM method aims to develop a deeper understanding of paths towards resilience and sustainability for stressed water systems.
Students
- Atlin Johnson (UNM)
- Marisol Meyer-Driovínto (UNM)
Former Students
- Constanza Kremer, Undergraduate (UNM)