The Andean Amazon Rivers Analysis and Monitoring (AARAM) project is a regional research initiative to develop the scientific understanding of Andean Amazon river systems which is necessary for their effective management in the face of ongoing development programs (land-use change) and possible climate change. The project is composed of university researchers, government scientists, NGO program managers, and regional resource managers representing 8 nations: Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, France, Germany, and the USA.
AARAM is a direct outgrowth of the IAI process, initiated in 1996 through the support of the Start-Up Grants Program. The project subsequently initiated research activities through the financial support of IAI’s Initial Science Program, the French Institute for Collaborative Scientific Research in Development (ORSTOM), and other in-kind funding sources. These research activities are being carried out in pilot catchments located in Bolivia (Alto Beni), Peru (Pachitea), Ecuador (Napo), and Colombia (Meta).
Research objectives in each of the pilot catchments include the following: (1) determine the current spatial distribution of land use and land cover (vegetation, soils, geomorphology, etc.), (2) quantify the temporal fluxes of water, sediments, and solutes at points representative of the spatial variability of land use and land cover in the region, (3) determine the processes (natural and anthropogenic) which control the spatio-temporal variation in these fluxes, and (4) translate project findings into quantitative models which can be used for the effective management of land, water, and human resources of the region (considering changes in climate and land use). Land use/land cover analyses are being carried out using Landsat TM and NOAA AVHRR satellite images. Field sampling is through quarterly basin-wide campaigns, daily gauging of reference stations, an selected microscale field experiments. Project data is modeled using HBV and SWIM, both of which are spatially distributed and designed for application at mesoscales.
AARAM also includes an active student training program which stresses application of cutting edge techniques and research approaches, technical language training to facilitate more active participation in international programs, and personal empowerment of students to instill the confidence and determination required to elevate the research consciousness of their countries and to aggressively pursue international funding. We have recruited a multi-disciplinary group of talented young scientists who we hope to integrate into the international community of global change researchers. Finally, AARAM collaborates directly with government agencies and indirectly (through NGO partners) with local land managers in order to make project results immediately available to decision makers in a useful format. These various project components will be presented along with available research results.