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Meet Andres Baeza-Castro/Presentamos Andres Baeza-Castro

1/6/2017

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1) What motivated you to become a part of MEGADAPT?
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I wanted to be involved with the project to interact with different researchers with different backgrounds that had interest in the same issue of water, that was my motivation.

​2) What do you consider to be your specific contribution/role in the MEGADAPT project?

I am in charge of developing the agent based model, and incorporating the decisions of stakeholders with the dynamics of water. So, I am in charge of integrating all the different pieces of this research. Also, I am collaborating with the health team to understand a little bit about the inclusion of disease risk. 

3) What do you hope the outcomes from this project will be?

First, from the perspective of the academic, to provide basic research about how the decisions of stakeholders influence the sensitivity of the symptoms and risks to water related issues in urban areas. To provide a theoretical contribution.
Second, how stakeholders react and learn to confront the consequences of their own actions and how it changes the way in which they see the problem.
Third, that it is a strategy that is more optimal and efficient in decreasing the hydrological problems in the city like scarcity, floods, and health, without changing the biophysical conditions of the problem- how can we modify risk with the actions and decisions of stakeholders. 

4) Why is Mexico City a special place to work?

First, it has the best food!
Ok, it is a city, a megacity, culturally it has much to offer, historically, artists, writers, all of us from South America, culturally Mexico has always been the center of artists and latino writers, music, everything happens there.
From the point of view of the problem, historically Mexico suffers from a chronic water problem, and this problem has been documented a lot, and provided a lot to the theory of hydrological problems. 

​1) ¿Qué le dió motivación para ser parte de MEGADAPT?

Quise estar involucrado en el proyecto para  interactuar con diferentesinvestigadores con diferentes líneas de investigación que tuvieran un interés común con la cuestión del agua. Esa fue mi motivación. 

2) ¿ Cuál considera ser su contribución específica o papel en el proyecto MEGADAPT?

Estoy encargado de desarrollar un modelo basado en agentes que  incorporare las decisiones de los actores sociales y la dinámica del agua. Entonces estoy encargado de la integración de varios componentes importantes del proyecto. También estoy colaborando con el equipo de salud con la finalidad deentender un poco la inclusion del riesgo de enfermedades. 

3) ¿Cuáles esperan que sean los resultados de este proyecto? 

Primero, desde el punto vista académico,  el proveer información básica acerca de la influencia de las decisiones de los actores sociales sobre la sensibilidad de los síntomas y riesgos relacionados a la cuestión del agua en áreas urbanas Es decir, brindar una contribución teórica.
Segundo, el entender cómo los actores sociales reaccionan y aprenden a enfrentarse a las consecuencias de sus propias acciones y cómo la manera en la que interpretan el problema cambia.
Tercera, que es una estrategia que puede ser má óptima y eficiente para disminuir el problema hídrico en la ciudad tales como la escasez, las inundaciones, y la salud, sin cambiar las condiciones biofísicas del problema, es decir cómo podemos modificar los riesgos con los acciones y decisiones de los actores sociales. 

4) ¿Por qué es la ciudad de Mexico un lugar especial para trabajar/vivir? 

​Primero tiene la mejor comida!
Bueno es una ciudad, una megaciudad, culturamente tiene mucho que entregar, históricamente, , artistas, escritores, para todos nosotros de Sudamérica, México siempre ha sido culturalmente el centro de todos las artistas y escritores latinos, la música, todo paso ahí.
Desde el punto vista del problema del agua, históricamente México sufre de un problema de agua crónico, y éste problema ha sido documentado extensivamente, lo cual  contribuyó de manera importante a la teoría de los problemas hidrológicos. 

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Meet Elizabeth Tellman/Presentamos Elizabeth Tellman

11/28/2016

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1) What motivated you to become a part of MEGADAPT?
 
I actually heard about MEGADAPT from Enrique when I came to ASU when I was trying to meet the hydrologists on campus. I was trying to do a PhD that combined hydrology and social science and he told me about MEGADAPT.  He sent me the research assistantship position for MEGADAPT with Hallie, and I thought, “this looks like my dream!” So that’s how I got involved and applied for her RA.
 
2) What do you consider to be your specific contribution/role in the MEGADAPT project?
 
I coded the mental models, put a lot of work into a history article on Mexico City, and brought my geographical perspective on data processing to the project. And now I feel like I actually have a lot more contribute, even though I am technically outside of MEGADAPT, because I am doing my thesis in Mexico City. I am living there and doing fieldwork right now so I feel more connected to the people there and can connect MEGADAPT with interesting things that are going on in the city.
 
3) What do you hope the outcomes from this project will be?
 
I hope it helps city managers think more systemically about their adaptation decisions and what decisions means for whom in the city. It would also be great, I don’t really know how this could happen, but if it could help people in the city or communities in the city leverage that information to be able to participate more in decisions.
 
4) Why is Mexico City a special place to work?
 
Why is it a special place to work? Because I think its one of the most transformed urban environments that I know of that exists. I don’t know of any other city that is its current size and scope and has its history of transformation. Like pumping five lakes and settling 30 million people, I don’t know of any other city that has had that kind of transformation. The whole lake drainage system- it took 200 years to build the first drain, like that’s one of the longest running infrastructure projects of all time. And those adaptation decisions have locked the city into this path of continuing to need to expel more and more water, yet bring in more and more water and this feedback loop allows the city to grow yet requires this continual investment in bringing in and expelling water. It is a wicked environmental problem. And in terms of lifestyle and living there, its great too. Oh the food is so good, oh my god the food. And Mexicans are just so fun, its just so fun, there’s so much culture, I really enjoy living there. 
1) ¿Qué te motivó para ser un parte de MEGADAPT?
 
De hecho, escuché de MEGADAPT por una entrevista que sostuve con Enrique Vivoni cuando vine a ASU ya que estaba intentando conocer los hidrólogos en campus. Mi intención era la de hacer un doctorado que combinara hidrología y ciencias sociales. Enrique mencionó entonces el proyecto de MEGADAPT yme envió la descripción del puesto de asistente de investigación para trabajar con Hallie y pensé, “esta parece como mi sueño!” Así que, esta es la historia de cómo me involucré y solicité para MEGADAPT.
 
2) ¿Cual consideras que es tu contribución específica o papel en el proyecto MEGADAPT?
 
Codifiqué las entrevistas para hacer los modelos mentales, trabajé intensamente en un artículo sobre historia de la Ciudad de México, y traje mi perspectiva geográfica de procesamiento de datos al proyecto. Ahora, aunque técnicamente estoy a fuera de MEGADAPT, siento que tengo más para contribuir porque estoy haciendo mi tesis en la ciudad de México. Estoy viviendo en la ciudad y haciendo trabajo de campo ahí, así que me siento más conectada a la gente allá y puedo conectar MEGADAPT con cosas/eventos interesantes que están ocurriendo en la ciudad.
 
3) ¿Cuáles esperas que sean los resultados de este proyecto?
 
Espero que ayude a los tomadores de decisiones y administradores de la ciudad a pensar más sistemáticamente sobre lo que cada decision significa que para quien en esta ciudad. También sería bueno, pero no sé exactamente como podría ocurrir, el ayudar a la gente en la ciudad o las comunidades dentro de la ciudad a usar la información o participar más en decisiones.
 
4) ¿Por qué es la ciudad de Mexico un lugar especial para trabajar?
 
¿Por qué es un lugar especial para trabajar? Porque creo que es uno de los ambientes urbanos más transformados que existe. No conozco otra ciudad del tamaño y alcance de la ciudad de México con una historia de transformación similar. Como, bombear cinco lagos y establecer 30 millonesde personas. No conozco ninguna otra ciudad que ha tenido este tipo de transformación. El sistema de drenaje el lago, por ejemplo, tomó 200 años en construirse el primer drenaje, representa uno delos proyectos de infraestructura más largos de todos los tiempos. Y éstas estrategias de adaptación han mantenido a la ciudad en un camino que requiere que siguan expulsando más y más agua, aunque requiere que también se lleve más y más agua a la ciudad- este bucle de retroalimentación permite a la ciudad a crecer, pero requiere una inversión continua de llevar y expulsar agua. Es un problema ambiental malvado.
Y, en términos de estilo de vida vivir en la ciudad, es excelente. Ah! la comida es buenísima , oh dios mío la comida. Y la gente es tan divertida, es tan divertido, hay tanta cultura, me gusta mucho vivir en la ciudad.
 
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MEGADAPT Team Member Spotlights: Hallie Eakin

11/2/2016

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Originally posted 10/03/2016
Over the next few months, we’re going to use our blog to introduce our MEGADAPT team members from ASU and UNAM. We’ll highlight who our team is, why they’ve decided to be a part of MEGADAPT, and their hopes for the project.  First, we’re introducing Hallie Eakin. Hallie Eakin is the Principle Investigator (PI) for the MEGADAPT Project and is an associate professor in the School of Sustainability at Arizona State University.

1) What motivated you to become a part of MEGADAPT?
The MEGADAPT project grew out of an effort to increase research collaborations between ASU and UNAM. Initially we, ASU and UNAM, had a small joint grant that allowed us to outline common area of interests, problem areas, areas in which we had complimentary strengths, and faculty in both institutions that would be available to address these common interests. We concluded that there was great interest in addressing urban sustainability.
The MEGADAPT project thus emerged out of a combination of my own interests/expertise in vulnerability and risk, others’ interest in focusing on Mexico’s emblematic history of water management , and the common area interest of urban sustainability.
For me, the project has been a new experience because in the past my work has been primarily focused on household level analysis in rural areas, not in an urban context. I’ve learned, however, that many of the same issues that create vulnerability in rural spaces are relevant in the heart of Mexico City.

2) What do you consider to be your specific contribution/role in the MEGADAPT project?
As the PI for the project, I have the designated role of overseeing the project. I make sure it stays on track with the timeline, meets our stated objectives, and produces materials/information/knowledge that addresses the interests and needs of communities with which we are working. The role of coordinator is challenging- I’ve previously only worked with smaller groups of scholars (the MEGADAPT project has had upwards of 20 participants at any given time!).
And because this project seeks to achieve transdisciplinarity, it has been a challenge to keep the project relevant to the actors we have engaged with over time. We are constantly trying to find ways in which to engage stakeholders and make the project salient to them.

3) What do you hope the outcomes from this project will be?
We want to be able to say that the MEGADAPT model is gaining recognition as a useful tool for decision-making in Mexico City (and, even more ambitiously, as a decision-making model for other cities around the world). And, that through using the tool, decision-makers can start to re-think the way that the city works and how vulnerability is produced within it. We hope it inspires innovative ideas to tackle the water issues in the city.
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4) Why is Mexico City a special place to work?
One of the things that I love about Mexico City is the incredible diversity of culture and ways of life that are packed together in this massive megalopolis. There is a constant surreal juxtaposition between modern and traditional life. In a street full of traffic there are cars, but there are also street sellers on bikes loaded with balloons or toting giant piñatas. There is incredible beauty in the meticulously balanced carts of street vendors and in the services that the provide – many services that are completely unavailable in cities here in the US. I love this city.
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    A collaborative project seeking to improve capacities for risk management in Mexico City and to serve as a model for climate-change adaptation in developing countries.

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