Report of the Directorate to the 16th Meeting of the EC in Panama City, Panama Dec 1-2 2002

The report details the activities and strategic direction of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) as presented to the 16th Meeting of the Executive Committee (EC) in Panama City. It covers the transition from Interim Director John Stewart to Director Gustavo V. Necco, focusing on the shift toward 'Sustainability Science' and the application of global research to local and regional solutions. The document outlines progress in Collaborative Research Networks (CRNs), training initiatives, financial status, and proposals to streamline the organization of EC and Conference of the Parties (CoP) meetings.

• The IAI is aligning its scientific program with a global shift toward 'Sustainability Science', moving from a focus on basic understanding to identifying solutions for environmental and developmental challenges. The institute acknowledges that while some Collaborative Research Network (CRN) work has led to implementation programs funded by governments, industries, and NGOs, a significant gap remains between scientific understanding and practical solutions.
• Director Gustavo V. Necco has proposed six major strategies to address institutional weaknesses and challenges: consolidating and enlarging CRNs, renewing project requests to prioritize sustainable development, targeting scientifically weak member countries for capacity-building, synthesizing knowledge for under-studied sub-regions, improving the dissemination of research results, and expanding the IAI's profile to offer expertise to other regional institutions.
• The IAI is pursuing several collaborative training and education initiatives for 2003, including a course on 'Dealing with Vulnerability Associated with Climate Variability' in the Dominican Republic or Jamaica, a course on 'Scaling up Sustainable Land-Use Practices in the Amazon' at CPTEC/INPE in Brazil, and a course on 'Climate Change and Carbon Sequestration' at the University of São Paulo.
• The IAI Directorate proposed restructuring the organization of EC and CoP meetings to increase efficiency. Suggestions include meeting once a year jointly for a maximum of two days to present annual reports and approve financial statements, rather than holding separate, repetitive meetings.
• For the period from July 1, 2001, to June 30, 2002, the IAI reported a superavit of $586,483, with total incomes of $1,628,654 (including a $205,450 in-kind contribution from Brazil) and total expenses of $1,042,171.
• The IAI is establishing a new physical presence in Brazil through a project involving a building with a total surface of approximately 2,200 square meters (with 675 square meters belonging to IAI). The INPE committed 1.5 Mega Reais from its 2003 budget to this project.

APA

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (n.d.). Report of the Directorate to the 16th Meeting of the EC in Panama City, Panama Dec 1-2 2002. https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/3_RepDir.pdf

Chicago

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. Report of the Directorate to the 16th Meeting of the EC in Panama City, Panama Dec 1-2 2002. n.d. https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/3_RepDir.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |title=Report of the Directorate to the 16th Meeting of the EC in Panama City, Panama Dec 1-2 2002 |url=https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/3_RepDir.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{interamericaninstituteforglobalchangeresearchndreport, author = {{Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}}, title = {{Report of the Directorate to the 16th Meeting of the EC in Panama City, Panama Dec 1-2 2002}}, institution = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, url = {https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/3_RepDir.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }