- Email: [email protected]
First regional IGBP meeting for South America
1.8. FIRST ANNUAL MEETING OF NATIONAL COMMITTEES FOR THE IGBP”’
Washington, DC, USA, 22-24 January 1990 The purpose of this international meeting was to bring together representatives of national committees for the IGBP to develop a common understanding of national plans for the IGBP, identify common interests and issues on which further collaboration between national committees could be pursued, and provide a forum for national committees to respond to and participate in the plans developed by the ICSU Special Committee for the IGBP. Representatives of 25 national committees for the IGBP attended. Each presented an account of the status of the planning effort and the on-going national research programmes related to the IGBP. The presentations indicated that many countries are actively involved in global change research and that the scientific communities are enthusiastic about participating in the IGBP. The development of national plans range widely between countries, however. In some, the national committees are beginning to form and develop their plans, while in others the active planning is consistent with the IGBP core projects as they have been developed by the Special Committee, and in others still, global change research is already funded and underway. A number of recommendations from the meeting will guide the further development of the IGBP core projects. At the invitation of the Royal Society, the next meeting will be held in London, UK, in early 1991.
1.9. FIRST REGIONAL IGBP MEETING FOR SOUTH AMERICA’w
SBo Jose dos Campos, Brazil, 5-9 March 1990 Regional IGBP meetings are important to strengthen involvement in the IGBP and promote regional cooperation. A number of such meetings are being planned and the first was held at the Instituto de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE) in Brazil from 5 to 9 March 1990. The meeting was attended by 35 scientists representing eight Latin American countries. The meeting was hosted by the Brazilian National Committee for the IGBP and INPE, was sponsored by UNESCO, OAS and TWAS and had the following objectives: 1. Examine current global change issues in relation to South American ecosystems and important processes of special relevance to the region. 2. Review proposals for IGBP core projects and South American priorities for collaboration. (‘)@)From ScienceInternationalNo. 40, April 1990.
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3. Review the concept of Global Change Regional Research Centres in a South American context. 4. Propose further measures to stimulate regional collaboration in the IGBP and with other relevant research programmes (e.g., UNESCO’s MAB, IOC, IHP and IGCP). Working groups were set up to address four scientific areas of global change research: past global changes, climate change and terrestrial ecosystems, the role of ocean processes in global change, and land transformation and global change processes. These groups produced reports with detailed recommendations which will be published shortly in the IGBP Report Series. Among the general recommendations to be included in the final report are the following: (a) Steps need to be taken to improve awareness of the IGBP and the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) at the national level, both within the academic community and at the governmental level. (b) It is essential that future meetings at the national and regional level are utilized to highlight the IGBP in general and South American participation in IGBP core projects in particular. (c) Specific regional projects should be developed as part of the international IGBP effort. (d) Regional coordination must be improved and the national committees must play a crucial role in this context. Although global change research is a priority in many South American countries, the financial resources are very limited and it is essential to seek different avenues to increase the funding for such research. The establishment of a Global Change Regional Research Centre in the Amazon is a high priority. Technological cooperation is essential both within the region and with other countries participating in IGBP research. In many cases, equipment for advanced chemical analyses is not easily available and supercomputers for global climate modelling are available in a few countries only. There is a need to develop scenarios of future climates in order to use these as a basis for assessing future impacts on terrestrial and marine systems. There is a need to develop a directory of directories which can identify where data relevant to the pursuit of IGBP research are available. It is essential to improve the communication network within the region and between the region and the overall international effort. Existing telemail links need to be improved and the participating scientists provided with access to such communication links. A regional newsletter should be developed. National Committees for the IGBP exist in the following South American countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru and Venezuela.
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Washington, DC, USA, 22-24 January 1990 The purpose of this international meeting was to bring together representatives of national committees for the IGBP to develop a common understanding of national plans for the IGBP, identify common interests and issues on which further collaboration between national committees could be pursued, and provide a forum for national committees to respond to and participate in the plans developed by the ICSU Special Committee for the IGBP. Representatives of 25 national committees for the IGBP attended. Each presented an account of the status of the planning effort and the on-going national research programmes related to the IGBP. The presentations indicated that many countries are actively involved in global change research and that the scientific communities are enthusiastic about participating in the IGBP. The development of national plans range widely between countries, however. In some, the national committees are beginning to form and develop their plans, while in others the active planning is consistent with the IGBP core projects as they have been developed by the Special Committee, and in others still, global change research is already funded and underway. A number of recommendations from the meeting will guide the further development of the IGBP core projects. At the invitation of the Royal Society, the next meeting will be held in London, UK, in early 1991.
1.9. FIRST REGIONAL IGBP MEETING FOR SOUTH AMERICA’w
SBo Jose dos Campos, Brazil, 5-9 March 1990 Regional IGBP meetings are important to strengthen involvement in the IGBP and promote regional cooperation. A number of such meetings are being planned and the first was held at the Instituto de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE) in Brazil from 5 to 9 March 1990. The meeting was attended by 35 scientists representing eight Latin American countries. The meeting was hosted by the Brazilian National Committee for the IGBP and INPE, was sponsored by UNESCO, OAS and TWAS and had the following objectives: 1. Examine current global change issues in relation to South American ecosystems and important processes of special relevance to the region. 2. Review proposals for IGBP core projects and South American priorities for collaboration. (‘)@)From ScienceInternationalNo. 40, April 1990.
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3. Review the concept of Global Change Regional Research Centres in a South American context. 4. Propose further measures to stimulate regional collaboration in the IGBP and with other relevant research programmes (e.g., UNESCO’s MAB, IOC, IHP and IGCP). Working groups were set up to address four scientific areas of global change research: past global changes, climate change and terrestrial ecosystems, the role of ocean processes in global change, and land transformation and global change processes. These groups produced reports with detailed recommendations which will be published shortly in the IGBP Report Series. Among the general recommendations to be included in the final report are the following: (a) Steps need to be taken to improve awareness of the IGBP and the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) at the national level, both within the academic community and at the governmental level. (b) It is essential that future meetings at the national and regional level are utilized to highlight the IGBP in general and South American participation in IGBP core projects in particular. (c) Specific regional projects should be developed as part of the international IGBP effort. (d) Regional coordination must be improved and the national committees must play a crucial role in this context. Although global change research is a priority in many South American countries, the financial resources are very limited and it is essential to seek different avenues to increase the funding for such research. The establishment of a Global Change Regional Research Centre in the Amazon is a high priority. Technological cooperation is essential both within the region and with other countries participating in IGBP research. In many cases, equipment for advanced chemical analyses is not easily available and supercomputers for global climate modelling are available in a few countries only. There is a need to develop scenarios of future climates in order to use these as a basis for assessing future impacts on terrestrial and marine systems. There is a need to develop a directory of directories which can identify where data relevant to the pursuit of IGBP research are available. It is essential to improve the communication network within the region and between the region and the overall international effort. Existing telemail links need to be improved and the participating scientists provided with access to such communication links. A regional newsletter should be developed. National Committees for the IGBP exist in the following South American countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru and Venezuela.
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