Aleix Serrat-Capdevila

Hi all, I'm a PhD candidate in the Hydrology Department of the University of Arizona, minor in Anthropology. I am interested in applying complex systems theory to model and understand stakeholder cooperation in water resources management at the basin level: that is, bridging physical and human sciences for proper water resources management, particularly in transboundary and developing country scenarios. For this, I am working in both the Sustainability of semi-Arid Hydrology and Riparian Areas (SAHRA NSF Center) and The Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy (My Webpage There). I really like travelling, the outdoors and getting to know people in new places. I'm looking forward to learning with you all, and hopefully discover a bit of Beijing together. Cheers !

My responses to Dave's questions:

QUESTION 1. What topics do you have some expertise in and would you be willing to help others learn them? Hydrologic and geologic processes; Hydrologic autoregressive forecasts; Stochastic dynamic programming for multi-reservoir systems operation; Maybe more appealing to some: I could also talk about working in the development of 3 refugee camps in West Africa and how I found it fascinating: cities from scratch, artificial "temporary" societies?

QUESTION 2. What do you want to learn at the CSSS? Specifically: how to apply CS theory to some of my research topics (below), and in general: nothing in particular except being exposed to different disciplines and different ideas.

QUESTION 3. Do you have any projects or research interests that would benefit from an interdisciplinary approach? Yes: how water allocation and management from the social sciences perspective could benefit from complex systems theory in a watershed with multiple and different stakeholder interests (urban, farmers, recreation, environmental areas…). How to implement this in an agent based model in order to be able to test different policies or hypothesis.

QUESTION 4. Do you have any ideas for what sort of project you would like to do this summer? Yes, but not too specific: The use of CS and modeling approaches for management of socio-ecological systems. How do you integrate a social, participatory bottom-up organization so that it can complement a physical science model or a flexible management? Or, what does resilience have to offer to real world managers and decision makers, other than qualitative ideas and general concepts?

QUESTION 5. Suppose you could travel one-hundred years in the future and ask researchers any three questions. What would those questions be?

A - How are humans doing in the universe: are there periodic mega-epidemics or other catastrophes that drive down populations; or we manage to live in an over-crowded world; or we think we are going to make it to other planets with resources? How did our evolutionary controls (natural selection) change during the threshold of the 20th century?

B - How did humans manage to cope with climate change and what did it take ?

C - Is the world governed by the influence of corporations and economic interests, or true cooperation has emerged at the global scale for the common good ? I would also have other questions, just one more: Did the US ever successfully manage to establish itself strategically on Iraq’s oil reserves and if yes, or if not, which was the total cost in terms of Iraqi civilian lives? (between 38,822 and 43,251 as of July 3rd 2006; http://www.iraqbodycount.net/).