Report on Science Program

The 2011 Report on Science Program by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) details the achievements of four scientific programs between May 2010 and April 2011. These include the Second Collaborative Research Network (CRNII), the Small Grants Program for the Human Dimensions (SGP-HD), and a project on land use and biofuels in the La Plata Basin. The report emphasizes the integration of social and economic research into natural science to bridge the science-policy divide, highlighting impacts on urban pollution management, forest conservation, and agricultural risk reduction across the Americas.

• The IAI's scientific programs have significantly contributed to academic capacity and research output, producing 343 joint scientific publications in refereed journals, books, and book chapters by April 2011. The CRNII program alone supported 318 student scholarships and involved 1,144 students in trainings and workshops, leveraging approximately US$22.5 million in funding over its first four years.
• Research on urban pollution (CRN2017 and ADAPTE) has led to the implementation of daily online air pollutant forecasts for Lima, Medellín, and Santiago. Project data directly influenced the update of decontamination plans in Bogotá and Medellín and contributed to revisions of the attainment plan in Santiago.
• In the La Plata basin, the replacement of permanent pastures with arable agriculture has altered regional hydrology by about one third. Research indicates that substituting soybean with pastures in lowlands and implementing tree afforestation on hilltops could reduce economic losses and the severity of future floods.
• Tropical dry forests in the Americas are highly threatened, with only 4.5% currently under legal protection. Research from the Tropi-Dry network (CRN2021) helped revoke a 2010 State law in Minas Gerais that had removed protection from important forest areas and provided the basis for official land cover maps in Costa Rica.
• Studies on the American Cordillera (CRN2047) show that Andean glaciers between 17-55°S have receded significantly over the last century, with the Southern Patagonian Icefield losing approximately 1,000 km2 (about 7%) of ice cover between 1944 and 2009. This research informed the development of Argentina's national Glacier Protection Law.
• Analysis of the Caribbean region (CRN2050) indicates that Atlantic hurricane activity peaked between AD 900-1100 and has increased again since 1980, linked to warm sea surface temperatures. Additionally, sea level rise of 18-59 cm is predicted by 2100, with early mapping suggesting that 20% of populations in the Bahamas, Belize, and Guadeloupe would be impacted if sea levels rose by 6 meters.
• Research on the Patagonian shelf (CRN2076) identifies the region as a strong sink for atmospheric CO2. However, global warming may increase vertical stratification in the upper ocean, potentially reducing the 'biological pump' and the ocean's capacity to absorb CO2 by favoring less efficient carbon-sequestering groups like dinoflagellates.

APA

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (2011). Report on Science Program. https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/iai-cop-18-science-report-e.pdf

Chicago

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. Report on Science Program. 2011. https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/iai-cop-18-science-report-e.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/admin/site/sites/default/files/iai-cop-18-science-report-e.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/admin/site/sites/default/files/iai-cop-18-science-report-e.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }