International Activities

The majority of the researchers involved in SAHRA have considerable international experience and preexisting collaborations with institutions around the world. We regularly participate in international meetings and serve on international committees on water, climate and related themes and host international visitors as guest scholars and students in our research teams. For example the University of Arizona team has SAHRA investigators based in units with particular focus on the water resources of semi-arid regions including the Office of Arid Lands Studies, and the Centers for Latin American Studies and for Middle Eastern Studies. Our intention is to sustain and expand on these important international relationships as part of the SAHRA center as individuals, teams and through the core office and publications.

Mexico

In terms of specific research activities and expanded collaborations SAHRA decided to focus initial international efforts on Mexico. Many of the SAHRA thrust areas focus on the US Southwest, where many important surface and ground water resources are shared with Mexico. Mexico has large regions of semi-arid climate and hydrology and is actively working to restructure water resources management and improve the use of science in water resources decision making. Mexico is also of great economic, strategic and ecological significance to the United States and provides an excellent opportunity to apply SAHRA research results in a neighboring country where water resources problems are urgent and researchers are very open to collaboration with SAHRA investigators.

Our SAHRA collaborators in Mexico include the Mexican Institute for Water and Technology (IMTA), the Center for Atmospheric Sciences at the national university UNAM, the University of Sonora/IMADES and the Colegio de Sonora. Specific projects, mostly in Thrust Area 5, include a review of the restructuring of water management in Mexico and assessments of research needs in the San Pedro and Rio Conchos river basins.

Latin America and International Education

Beyond Mexico SAHRA is building linkages to Latin America through the Inter American Institute and other hemispheric organizations such as the OAS and the UNESCO office for Latin America.

We are translating our Web page and educational materials into Spanish, not only for international outreach but also to connect to Spanish speaking populations in the United States. We plan to offer workshops at several binational environmental meetings on the US-Mexico border.