Benefits and negative impacts of involvement in citizen science water projects in Nepal Thanks a lot for your interest in the research.
You are correct for the Ethiopia study. The on-the-ground impact was citizen science monitoring for improved understanding of water resources for adaptive management for improved food security. The higher-level impact was to encourage authorities, NGOs and researchers not to dismiss shallow aquifers as unproductive and vulnerable to climate variability.
In Nepal I was researching other people's ongoing or former water projects. I aimed to determine if the involved communities were benefitting from their involvement in the citizen science aspects of the projects. Much has been published about the benefits of citizen science to scientists and authorities but few have looked at the impact on citizens themselves. The conclusions were that communities are benefitting (from knowledge gain to increased social capital to improved livelihoods) but to various degrees and often in unexpected ways. However, there are also, albeit infrequent, negative impacts of involvement that were often unknown to project organisers, such as involvement being burdensome or having created conflicts. The findings have been fedback to the organisers for them to adapt their projects. There are also a couple of papers in production to disseminate the findings more broadly.
Citizen science hydrometeorological monitoring I have read your 2016 thesis quality article following your research in Ethiopia which I found of interest as we were concerned for the plight of tribes relocated from the Omo River areas due to the significant dam projects and the perception Ethiopia is a famine basketcase, albeit your research appears to have been in the northwest while the Omo tribes are in the south. Our travels in Ethiopia were somewhat simplistic but indicated the populous and the government were attempting to overcome the future affects of famine by seeking to store food and improve agricultural practices and better use water resources to not just live from day to day but prepare for the tougher times. Your 2016 article appears to my reading to indicate your research and interaction provided benefits to the Ethiopean communities in the the areas of your research projects and assisted them in observing, appreciating and seeking to manage their own agricultural resources with added insight. (forgive my non-academic simplistic summary)!!! Do you feel you have managed to provide insight and/or benefit to the Nepalese communities from your limited visits there yet?
How to travel Uzbekistan We arranged a tailored private tour of Uzbekistan from Australia with an Uzbek company where we booked our own accommodation in small family owned hotels but had drivers and guides as well as days off to do our own thing. This was easily arranged and highly professional and not expensive. The Uzbek company suggested itineraries which we tailored so all they had to arrange were book trains, drivers and guides. The guides were exceptional. We are not coach trip travellers and could not imagine discovering Uzbekistan that way. The benefit of being met at airports, train stations and hotels rather than relying on public transport was gold. Sometimes local companies have the inside knowledge and know the best sites and are very happy to get the business by organising tailored tours so we can also do our own thing. We met others doing the same who also want to do their own thing but need assistance with seamless transport in countries where travelling backpacker style can be problematic. We did following the Dakar Rally in Bolivia this way and the results were out of this World...our driver had set the Dakar Rally course!!!
I hope I haven't come across as anti-Uzbekistan, anti-coach trip, and anti-retired people going on holiday! The photos are reminding me how stunning it was and the people are great. But for backpackers who are looking for independent travel and more untouched sights, I would probably recommend the other Stans. Whereas for people who want something different from their usual Mediterranean holidays but don't want to have to think for themselves too much regarding transportation and accommodation then I would really recommend Uzbekistan!
The drying up of the Aral Sea Thank you for mentioning the Russian obsession with cotton growing that sucked the Aral Sea dry. Fortunately the President of Uzbekistan has reduced cotton production dramatically as it is too thirsty a crop for the water available in his country. The Aral Sea desert is testament to the rape of countries by imperialist regimes that leave and then can wipe their hands of the destruction they have caused.
Uzbekistan I sense an ambivalence in your written assessment David, somewhat tempered by your observation of retiree tourism and perceptions of restoration versus not. Yet your trip appears to be self planned one where you discovered the beauty of Uzbekistan and its people and your beautiful photos highlight that. We tied Uzbekistan into our recent Russian trip and I've gotta say it was full of so many highlights I can't wait to blog it when I have finished the Russian blogs that are presently the subject of my this and that. It is our most friendly destination in the World.
Photo comments thanks Thanks a lot for the comments on the photos. Kyrgyzstan is an extremely photogenic place; in terms of both the natural scenery and interesting stuff going on!
One for the Pool Room This in any dialect is the Money Shot. In Oz it is definitely one for the Pool Room (see the film "The Castle" for interpretation if required).
Every region has it's nuances of colour Beautiful...takes me back to the palettes of colour of the Pamir...simply beautiful. I have posted some of your brilliant pics in "Majestic Mountains" thread in the Photography Forum. Check 'em out. For the previous reasons this is my favourite!
Marmot Well done. It ain't easy to catch such a neat pic of the cautious marmot. I have posted this in "Animals with Character" thread in the Photography Forum. Check it out.
The paths of Kyrgyzstan I am out of breath following each step of your Heights of Alay trek blog...a wonderful meander (or is it slog?) through some of the most magnificent vistas in the World. I'll post this pic in "Follow that Road" thread in the Photography Forum as it is too good to not further share.
Such a good read, can you help me? Hello,
Firstly, I loved your blog here, best I've read about Grauspitz, and given your style I have no doubt extremely good everywhere else.
I'm going to Liechtenstein in April 2020. I occasionally hike, handle fear fairly well and am in good fitness.
1) What time of year did you hike to the top?
2) The final ascent to the summit, how steep and narrow is it? Getting down did you face down and go down on your bum, or face the rock and step down like a ladder?
Your article is exactly what I'm planning to do. From Liechtenstein straight up and back. Thank you
Hi Chris
Thanks for your comments. To answer your queries:
1. I've just checked my photos and it was 2nd August 2016 when I climbed it. In April you still might have snow up there which could complicate things. There are probably some webcams on nearby ski resorts that you could access online before you get there to check the conditions.
2. The route I took wasn't narrow at all (only the very summit) as I went pretty much straight up the face rather than across the ridge from the neighbouring summit. Most blogs, and my "Highpoints of all European Countries" guidebook suggest going along the ridge. However, I read someone else's blog who failed the ridge route twice as they felt it was too dangerous before succeeding on the straight up route so I followed that one. It is a concave slope so steeper close to the top but I remember picking my way in between the solid rock on which you can use your hands. Getting down was not as bad as I expected as you can jump and slide straight down the scree. Probably only a few parts of the descent near the top were facing towards the slope.
Good luck with it. Liechtenstein was unexpectedly lovely.
The delights of Copenhagen Ever since our youngest daughter Katherine and her family moved from Sydney to CPH for work we've been regular visitors; indeed I'm going back there in August while Katherine will be home for a short time in early July. So I really did enjoy reading your tales of your visit to CPH and the lovely photos. And as we spent Christmas 2018 there, during we time we also visited Stockholm for a couple of days, winter in Scandinavia is not something I'd want to put up with year in, year out. But of course to visit in winter is different from actually living there. Thanks for this delightful piece about CPH!!
A highlights package of trips generally focusing on one place or aspect. This had been my rule since starting the blog in 2007: "Fewer blogs are appearing seeing as, for some reason, I decided to never write more than one blog per country unless I lived there. Having got around quite a bit, I'm now revisiting many countries, hence fewer blogs." However, it's getting trickier to get to completely new countries so I decided I might break that rule on occasion. The PhD fortunately didn't curtail travelling with research in sub-Saharan Africa and India as well as the chance to attend conferences w... full info
Donny
David Walker
Benefits and negative impacts of involvement in citizen science water projects in Nepal
Thanks a lot for your interest in the research. You are correct for the Ethiopia study. The on-the-ground impact was citizen science monitoring for improved understanding of water resources for adaptive management for improved food security. The higher-level impact was to encourage authorities, NGOs and researchers not to dismiss shallow aquifers as unproductive and vulnerable to climate variability. In Nepal I was researching other people's ongoing or former water projects. I aimed to determine if the involved communities were benefitting from their involvement in the citizen science aspects of the projects. Much has been published about the benefits of citizen science to scientists and authorities but few have looked at the impact on citizens themselves. The conclusions were that communities are benefitting (from knowledge gain to increased social capital to improved livelihoods) but to various degrees and often in unexpected ways. However, there are also, albeit infrequent, negative impacts of involvement that were often unknown to project organisers, such as involvement being burdensome or having created conflicts. The findings have been fedback to the organisers for them to adapt their projects. There are also a couple of papers in production to disseminate the findings more broadly.