IAI Science Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC) Report to the 25th Conference of the Parties

The IAI Science Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC) report outlines strategic recommendations to improve the visibility, engagement, and financing of science-policy linkages. It details a December 2016 workshop in Mar del Plata, Argentina, where researchers and decision-makers collaborated on five thematic areas: health and diseases, land use and hydrology, weather forecasting and early warning, coastal and marine management, and urban monitoring. The report advocates for increased IAI Directorate capacity, specifically in outreach and fundraising, and suggests strengthening participation in international conventions and private sector engagement to enhance the application of scientific data in regional governance.

• The SPAC recommends a three-pillar work plan focused on visibility, engagement, and financing to improve science-policy integration. This includes developing communication strategies, creating web-based tools like webinars and MOOCs, and identifying priorities through inclusive consultative processes.
• To strengthen the IAI's role in global agendas, the SPAC suggests using sub-regional approaches to engage with Convention focal points, mapping conventions to increase funding, and developing strategies to utilize regional organizations for IAI products.
• The SPAC identifies opportunities for private sector engagement in specific technical areas, including big data management, risk management and finance, and the development of cross-scale intelligence products to inform investment decisions.
• The report proposes diversifying funding through 'Belmont-Model like funding' and targeting bilateral funds (e.g., China, Korea, GIZ), foundations (e.g., Rockefeller, Gates), and multilateral development banks (e.g., GEF, GCF).
• A December 2016 workshop in Mar del Plata, Argentina, demonstrated the practical application of science-policy synthesis. A notable outcome was the adoption of Municipal Ordinance No. 4,163/2016 in San Antonio de Areco, which incorporated a Hydrometeorological Risk and Climate Vulnerability Map into its Territorial Ordering Code.
• The workshop identified five critical thematic areas for regional science-policy synthesis: health and vector-borne diseases, land use and hydrology, weather forecasting for early warning, coastal/marine ecosystem management, and urban public health monitoring.
• The SPAC concludes that the IAI Directorate requires increased capacity to implement these recommendations, specifically calling for the establishment of a dedicated outreach and fundraising position.

APA

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (2017). IAI Science Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC) Report to the 25th Conference of the Parties. https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/cop-25-SPAC-report-e.pdf

Chicago

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. IAI Science Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC) Report to the 25th Conference of the Parties. 2017. https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/cop-25-SPAC-report-e.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |title=IAI Science Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC) Report to the 25th Conference of the Parties |date=June 2017 |url=https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/cop-25-SPAC-report-e.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{interamericaninstituteforglobalchangeresearch2017iai, author = {{Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}}, title = {{IAI Science Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC) Report to the 25th Conference of the Parties}}, institution = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, year = {2017}, month = jun, url = {https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/cop-25-SPAC-report-e.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }