Draft Report on the development of the IAI strategic plan

The report evaluates the IAI's progress since 1994, noting its success in building scientific capacity and producing high-quality natural science. While the existing Science Agenda remains valid, the report argues for a strategic shift toward improving the translation of research into actionable guidance for decision-makers. It emphasizes the need for interdisciplinary collaboration—integrating social, economic, and health sciences with natural sciences—and suggests expanding the involvement of senior policy makers and industry leaders in the research process to enhance the societal relevance of global change science.

• An external review by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 2007 concluded that the IAI has successfully built scientific capacity throughout the Americas and produced high-quality science, particularly in the natural sciences.
• Despite scientific success, there is a critical need to improve how research results are disseminated and formulated to be more actionable for decision-makers, ranging from high-level government agencies to local resource managers.
• The IAI Scientific Advisory Committee determined that the current Science Agenda does not require revisions, but the methodology for its implementation and the interaction with decision-makers must be further developed.
• The IAI has successfully integrated scientific results into policy and legal frameworks, such as the UN Convention on Biodiversity, the Chilean Forestry code, and land-use decisions in Costa Rica via IAI-Tropidry remote sensed maps.
• The IAI has developed specific tools and networks to enhance regional capacity, including LechuSA for monitoring South American terrestrial ecosystems and a phenology tower monitor used in Mexico, Costa Rica, Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina.
• The IAI has coordinated interdisciplinary teams of social and natural scientists to provide policy advice for the La Plata Basin, the world's fifth largest basin, addressing challenges in precipitation, streamflow, hydropower, and food production.
• The future strategic focus will prioritize 'informed action' and the human impacts of global change by engaging a broader range of scientists—including those in engineering, health, and economics—without compromising scientific rigor.

APA

Stewart, J., H.Tiessen, Brklacich, M., & Breulmann, G. (2009). Draft Report on the development of the IAI strategic plan. Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/iai-cop-16-strategic-plan-e.pdf

Chicago

Stewart, J.W.B., H.Tiessen, M. Brklacich, and G. Breulmann. Draft Report on the development of the IAI strategic plan. Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research, 2009. https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/iai-cop-16-strategic-plan-e.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Stewart |first1=J.W.B. |last2=H.Tiessen |last3=Brklacich |first3=M. |last4=Breulmann |first4=G. |title=Draft Report on the development of the IAI strategic plan |publisher=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |date=20 April 2009 |url=https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/iai-cop-16-strategic-plan-e.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stewart2009draft, author = {Stewart, J.W.B. and H.Tiessen and Brklacich, M. and Breulmann, G.}, title = {{Draft Report on the development of the IAI strategic plan}}, institution = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, year = {2009}, month = apr, url = {https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/iai-cop-16-strategic-plan-e.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }