Report on Science Program

The report details the progress of the Second Collaborative Research Network (CRNII), the Small Grants Program for Human Dimensions (SGP-HD), and an IDRC-funded project on the La Plata Basin. Key findings include the impact of land-use change on hydrology in the La Plata Basin, the vulnerability of Andean cloud forests and glaciers, and the development of urban pollution forecasting for Latin American cities. The document emphasizes the role of 'Human Dimensions' projects in bridging the science-policy divide, providing evidence for forest protection laws in Brazil and Argentina, and improving water management strategies in Chile and Mexico. It also highlights the capacity building achieved through scholarships and workshops for over 1,600 students across the programs.

• The Second Collaborative Research Network (CRNII) and Small Grants Program for Human Dimensions (SGP-HD) significantly expanded scientific capacity in the Americas, providing scholarships to 343 students (318 from CRNII and 25 from SGP-HD) and training 1,581 students through workshops.
• In the La Plata basin, the replacement of permanent pastures with arable agriculture has altered regional hydrology by approximately one third, with recurrent floods in the western Pampas reducing agricultural output by an average of 21%.
• Andean cloud forests are particularly vulnerable to climate change as they are being "squeezed" between rising temperatures and development pressures from below and grazing impacts from above.
• Research on urban pollution (CRN2017) led to the implementation of daily online chemical-weather forecasts for the cities of Lima, Medellin, and Santiago, and provided data used to update decontamination plans in Bogota and Medellin.
• The Tropi-Dry (CRN2021) project contributed to the revocation of a 2010 State law in Minas Gerais, Brazil, that had removed protection from important forest areas, and provided the basis for official land cover maps in Costa Rica.
• Andean glaciers between 17-55°S have receded significantly over the last century; specifically, the Southern Patagonian Icefield lost approximately 1,000 km² (about 7%) of its ice cover between 1944 and 2009, with the loss rate doubling in the last 25 years.
• Analysis of the Patagonian shelf indicates it is a strong sink for atmospheric CO2, but global warming may alter the "biological pump" by favoring dinoflagellates, which are less efficient at sequestering carbon.

APA

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (2011). Report on Science Program. https://archive.iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/10%C2%BA%2032nd%20CE_9_Discussion%20of%20CRN3%20and%20other%20future%20programs.pdf

Chicago

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. Report on Science Program. 2011. https://archive.iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/10%C2%BA%2032nd%20CE_9_Discussion%20of%20CRN3%20and%20other%20future%20programs.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |title=Report on Science Program |date=9 May 2011 |url=https://archive.iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/10%C2%BA%2032nd%20CE_9_Discussion%20of%20CRN3%20and%20other%20future%20programs.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{interamericaninstituteforglobalchangeresearch2011report, author = {{Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}}, title = {{Report on Science Program}}, institution = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, year = {2011}, month = may, url = {https://archive.iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/10%C2%BA%2032nd%20CE_9_Discussion%20of%20CRN3%20and%20other%20future%20programs.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }