Director Report for the 7" EC and 5" CoP Meetings

The IAI Director's report details the institute's growth to 18 member countries by March 1998 and the administration of its Initial Science Program (ISP) and Climate Research Network (CRN). Key programmatic highlights include a strong funding focus on ENSO and interannual climate variability, the establishment of a Core Group for Caribbean countries, and partnerships with organizations like NOAA, NASA, and the WMO. The report also outlines financial strategies through Joint Funding Resource Agreements (JFRA) and the development of a Summer Training School at the University of Miami.

• As of March 1998, the IAI had 18 member countries, reflecting the addition of seven new nations that ratified or adhered to the agreement between March 1996 and March 1998.
• To address the participation of Caribbean nations, a Core Group consisting of the University of Puerto Rico, Haiti, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, St. Marteen, and Netherlands’ Antilles was created to coordinate with IAI while formal participation mechanisms are discussed.
• Funding for the IAI Initial Science Program is heavily concentrated in the study of ENSO and interannual climate variability, which accounts for nearly one-third of total funds, while other themes receive between 8% and 12% each.
• The IAI is shifting toward a more balanced geographical distribution of research leadership, as evidenced by an increase in scientists from non-US countries serving as Principal Investigators (PIs) in the Climate Research Network (CRN) program.
• The IAI has established several strategic partnerships, including a collaboration with NOAA/OGP providing 250,000 USD to integrate El Niño forecasting into policy-making for sectors such as agriculture and public health, and a 350,000 USD contribution from NASA for remote sensing projects under the LBA program.
• The IAI is implementing a Joint Funding Resource Agreement (JFRA) strategy to increase budgets, with specific agreements being negotiated or signed with agencies in Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, and Chile.
• A Pan-American Climate Information System for Disaster Preparedness (PACIS) was proposed via a Statement of Intent between the governments of the United States and Chile in April 1998.

APA

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (1998). Director Report for the 7" EC and 5" CoP Meetings. https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/iai-cop-5-directorate-report-e.pdf

Chicago

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. Director Report for the 7" EC and 5" CoP Meetings. 1998. https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/iai-cop-5-directorate-report-e.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |title=Director Report for the 7" EC and 5" CoP Meetings |date=June 1998 |url=https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/iai-cop-5-directorate-report-e.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{interamericaninstituteforglobalchangeresearch1998director, author = {{Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}}, title = {{Director Report for the 7" EC and 5" CoP Meetings}}, institution = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, year = {1998}, month = jun, url = {https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/iai-cop-5-directorate-report-e.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }