Report of the CRN-I Program

The Report of the CRN-I Program details the outcomes of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research's (IAI) Collaborative Research Network (CRN) program, which operated from 1999 to 2003. The program invested approximately US$10 million across 14 grants to foster multidisciplinary, international research networks focused on global change phenomena in the Americas, with a strong emphasis on scientific capacity building and policy relevance.

• The CRN program was established in 1999 as a five-year initiative (1999–2003) with an initial investment of approximately US$10 million distributed among 14 grants. Its primary goals were to improve the understanding of regional global change, establish international research networks, provide data for decision-makers, and expand scientific capacity across the Americas.
• By June 2004, the program successfully leveraged supplemental and parallel funding exceeding US$20 million. Major contributors included national science and technology organizations from IAI member countries, as well as international entities such as the European Union, France, Germany, the World Bank, the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
• The program significantly contributed to academic capacity building, with 429 students (161 undergraduate, 128 Master's, and 140 doctoral) benefiting from participation in CRN projects since 1999.
• Research in northeastern Brazil (CRN 001) revealed severe soil erosion rates, with topsoil losses estimated at 220 kg soil m-2 from shoulder slopes and 268 kg soil m-2 from back slopes. The study found that in these regions, organic matter levels are poor indicators of land degradation because rapid carbon turnover obscures the effects of erosion.
• In the La Pampa province, isotope studies showed that warm temperate soils have carbon half-lives of only 10 to 12 years, significantly shorter than the 50 to 100+ years found in North American temperate grasslands, indicating a high susceptibility to land degradation.
• Research on cattle ranching in Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru (CRN 009) concluded that while deforestation is occurring across all studied regions, the specific drivers vary by context and producer type. The project produced seven book-length monographs and contributed to 20 academic degrees.
• Studies in the Patagonian steppe (CRN 012) found a positive correlation between species richness (biodiversity) and net primary productivity, noting that this relationship is more pronounced in intact ecosystems where positive species interactions, such as facilitation, are present.
• The ENSO Disaster Risk Management project (CRN 031) developed the DESINVENTAR database, covering damaging hydrometeorological events from 1970 to 2003. The findings emphasize that social vulnerability and resilience are more critical determinants of loss and damage than the physical hazards of ENSO.
• The AARAM project (CRN 047) monitored over 150 rivers in the Andean Amazon, finding generally high water quality but identifying threats from raw sewage in towns and intense agriculture. The project established the Andean Amazon Research Station in Oxapampa, Peru.
• Research on climate variability in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean (CRN 073) focused on the 'Mid Summer Drought' (MSD), a precipitation minimum in July and August. The project concluded that the MSD is related to atmospheric circulations over the Caribbean Sea and the Caribbean Low Level Jet.

APA

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (2005). Report of the CRN-I Program. https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/8_CRN_I.pdf

Chicago

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. Report of the CRN-I Program. 2005. https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/8_CRN_I.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |title=Report of the CRN-I Program |date=15 April 2005 |url=https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/8_CRN_I.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{interamericaninstituteforglobalchangeresearch2005report, author = {{Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}}, title = {{Report of the CRN-I Program}}, institution = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, year = {2005}, month = apr, url = {https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/8_CRN_I.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }