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

The report details the first ten years of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), outlining its mission to understand global environmental changes in the Americas. It describes the evolution of its scientific agenda from seven initial themes to four broad categories, the implementation of various grant programs (Initial Grants, Initial Scientific Program, and Cooperative Research Networks), and the establishment of its headquarters in Brazil. Key achievements include the funding of 14 Cooperative Research Networks (CRNs) with a US$10 million investment, the training of hundreds of scientists and students, and the creation of the IAI-DIS data system. The document also lists specific research projects focusing on climate variability, biodiversity, and human dimensions across North, Central, and South America.

• The IAI was established on May 13, 1992, in Montevideo, Uruguay, through an agreement between 11 countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Uruguay, and the United States.
• The institute's membership expanded to 19 nations with the later addition of Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Guatemala, Jamaica, Paraguay, and Venezuela.
• The IAI's scientific agenda evolved from seven initial themes in 1993-1994 to a reorganized framework of four broad themes by 1997: (I) Understanding Climate Variability in the Americas, (II) Comparative Studies of Ecosystems, Biodiversity, Land Use and Water Resources in America, (III) Changes in the Composition of the Atmosphere, Oceans and Fresh Waters, and (IV) Integrated Assessment, Human Dimensions and Applications.
• Between 1995 and 1998, the IAI implemented an institutional strengthening project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and executed by the World Meteorological Organization, which included a US$3 million contribution from the UNDP and GEF, and US$350,000 from the US National Science Foundation.
• The Initial Scientific Program (ISP), spanning three phases from 1996 to 2001, invested approximately US$4 million and awarded 39 grants, resulting in at least 159 publications and the involvement of 137 students.
• The Cooperative Research Network (CRN) program (1999-2003) created 14 research networks with a total investment of US$10 million, involving over 220 co-investigators and 179 institutions across 18 countries.
• The IAI-DIS (IAI Data and Information System) was presented in January 2000 as an internet-based system to disseminate scientific information generated by IAI-associated organizations in the Americas.
• The Program to Expand Scientific Capacity in the Americas (PESCA) funded 11 small scientific projects with grants ranging from US$15,000 to US$30,000 to increase the participation of underrepresented member countries.
• The Small Grants Program (SGP) launched two cycles: SGP-I in 2002 with US$385,000 for 16 projects, and SGP-II in June 2003 with US$612,701 for 22 proposals.
• The IAI established its Executive Directorate headquarters in São José dos Campos, Brazil, at the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) campus, becoming one of the first international organizations to be headquartered in Brazil.

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://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/First_Ten_Years_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://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/First_Ten_Years_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://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/First_Ten_Years_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://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/First_Ten_Years_Sp.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }