Los Diez Primeros Años del IAI: Observaciones, Mediciones, Comprensión y Documentación de los Cambios Ambientales en las Américas

This report documents the first decade of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), covering its institutional development, scientific agenda, and research programs from 1992 to 2002. It details the transition from a conceptual phase to an operational entity, the establishment of its headquarters in Brazil, and the implementation of various grant programs and cooperative research networks aimed at understanding environmental changes across the Americas.

• The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) was established on May 13, 1992, through an agreement signed in Montevideo, Uruguay, by 11 founding countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brasil, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Uruguay, and the United States. By 2004, the membership expanded to 19 nations with the addition of Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Guatemala, Jamaica, Paraguay, and Venezuela.
• The IAI's mission is to build capacity to understand the integrated impact of current and future global changes on the regional and continental environment of the Americas, while promoting cooperative research and information-based action.
• The IAI's scientific agenda evolved from seven initial themes in 1993-1994 to a reorganized framework of four broad themes approved in 1998: (I) Understanding Climate Variability in the Americas; (II) Comparative Studies of Ecosystems, Biodiversity, Land Use, and Water Resources; (III) Changes in the Composition of the Atmosphere, Oceans, and Freshwaters; and (IV) Integrated Assessment, Human Dimensions, and Applications.
• Between 1995 and 1998, the IAI implemented an institutional strengthening project funded by the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) and executed by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), with a contribution of US $3 million from the UNDP and GEF, and US $350,000 from the US National Science Foundation (NSF). This project provided GIS training to 250 students from 130 institutions and offered 13 short-term scholarships.
• The Initial Science Program (ISP), spanning three phases from 1996 to 2001, invested approximately US $4 million and awarded 39 grants. Its outputs included the involvement of at least 137 students (mostly producing master's theses) and the publication of approximately 159 journal articles, book chapters, symposia, and reports.
• The Collaborative Research Network (CRN) program (1999-2003) invested US $10 million to create 14 research networks. These networks involved over 220 co-investigators and approximately 179 institutions across 18 countries, focusing on multidisciplinary research combining natural and social sciences.
• The IAI developed the Data Information System (DIS) in collaboration with INPE, NSF, and WMO to disseminate scientific information via the internet. Developed by CIESIN at Columbia University between 1997 and 1999, the system was installed at the IAI Executive Directorate in Brazil in July 1999 and officially presented in January 2000.
• The Program to Expand Scientific Capacity in the Americas (PESCA) was launched to increase the participation of researchers from member countries with low previous involvement, funding 11 small projects with grants ranging from US $15,000 to $30,000.
• In 2002 and 2003, the IAI launched two Small Grants Programs (SGP). SGP-I provided US $385,000 for 16 projects, and SGP-II provided US $612,701 for 22 proposals, aiming to catalyze new research activities and integrate scientific knowledge into decision-making.

APA

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (2004). Los Diez Primeros Años del IAI: Observaciones, Mediciones, Comprensión y Documentación de los Cambios Ambientales en las Américas. https://iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/First_10years_IAI_book_sp.pdf

Chicago

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. Los Diez Primeros Años del IAI: Observaciones, Mediciones, Comprensión y Documentación de los Cambios Ambientales en las Américas. 2004. https://iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/First_10years_IAI_book_sp.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |title=Los Diez Primeros Años del IAI: Observaciones, Mediciones, Comprensión y Documentación de los Cambios Ambientales en las Américas |date=June 2004 |url=https://iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/First_10years_IAI_book_sp.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{interamericaninstituteforglobalchangeresearch2004los, author = {{Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}}, title = {{Los Diez Primeros Años del IAI: Observaciones, Mediciones, Comprensión y Documentación de los Cambios Ambientales en las Américas}}, institution = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, year = {2004}, month = jun, url = {https://iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/First_10years_IAI_book_sp.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }