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Between October 1997 and January 1998, the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) and partners conducted three regional workshops in Lima, Peru; Montevideo, Uruguay; and Fortaleza, Brazil. These meetings aimed to use probabilistic seasonal forecast information to reduce socioeconomic disruption caused by the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The workshops involved climate scientists and stakeholders from sectors such as health, agriculture, and fisheries to create regional precipitation forecasts and design pilot application projects. Specific forecasts for the 1997-98 period predicted above-normal rainfall for coastal Ecuador and northern Peru, while predicting drier than normal conditions for most of northeast South America, including northern parts of Northeast Brazil.

The 1992 agreement establishes the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) to coordinate scientific research on global change in the Americas. The IAI is structured as a regional network with four primary organs: the Conference of the Parties (policy-making), the Executive Council (executive), the Scientific Advisory Committee (scientific advice), and the Directorate (administration). Its objectives include promoting interdisciplinary research on earth, ocean, and atmospheric sciences, improving research infrastructure, and providing scientific information to governments for public policy. The initial Scientific Agenda focuses on tropical ecosystems, climate change impacts on biodiversity, El Niño Southern Oscillation, and high latitude processes. Funding is based on voluntary contributions from Parties and Associates, with operational expenses supported by pledges in increments of US$ 5,000.

The agreement creates the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) to foster regional cooperation in interdisciplinary research on global changes. It defines the Institute's objectives, including the study of tropical ecosystems and climate variability, and outlines a governance structure consisting of a Conference of Parties, an Executive Council, a Scientific Advisory Committee, and a Directorate. The document also specifies the criteria for establishing Research Centers and the financial framework based on voluntary contributions.

The document highlights that global warming, driven by greenhouse gas emissions, is causing a loss of oxygen and increased acidity in the global ocean, with the Peruvian sea being particularly susceptible due to its high productivity and circulation patterns. It notes that the South East Pacific OMZ has expanded in recent decades, and warns that if these low-oxygen waters reach coastal areas, they could synergize with human-induced pollution (such as agricultural runoff and sewage) to create 'dead zones'. The brief emphasizes that while the global ocean has lost approximately 2% of its oxygen over the last 50 years, the specific temporal variation of the OMZ off the coast of Peru is not yet fully understood. To mitigate these risks, the authors recommend expanding oceanographic monitoring across the Peruvian coastline, strengthening multidisciplinary research to improve climate models, tightening laws on organic waste disposal, and using this data to establish marine protected areas.

The document argues that the aquaculture industry's dependence on wild-caught fish for feed is ecologically and financially unsustainable, exposing investors and retailers to systemic resource risks, price volatility, and reputational damage. It highlights links between major European aquafeed producers and destructive fishing practices in India, Vietnam, and The Gambia, while asserting that current certification schemes, specifically those from the Marine Ingredients Organisation (IFFO), are ineffective 'smokescreens'.

The document details the establishment of the IAI Summer Training School, noting that the University of Miami (RSMAS) will act as the agent to secure funding from the NSF for a three-year program. It describes a joint supervision model between RSMAS and IAI to ensure interdisciplinary and multinational participation, managed by a coordinator and a scientific leader. Proposed thematic areas include social science methods for natural scientists, climate downscaling, sustainable coastal management, socioeconomic impacts of El Niño, and remote-sensing data for ocean-land interactions.

The study investigates a severe drought in southern Madagascar (the Grand Sud region) between July 2019 and June 2021, which contributed to a major food security crisis. Analysis of observational data and climate models indicates that the event was a 1-in-135 year dry event, but its likelihood was not significantly increased by anthropogenic climate change. The findings suggest that natural variability remains the dominant driver of such droughts in this region, aligning with IPCC projections that perceptible changes in drought may only emerge if global mean temperatures exceed 2°C above pre-industrial levels. The report also highlights that the humanitarian impact was severely compounded by extreme poverty, poor infrastructure, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The document describes El Niño as a natural Pacific Ocean cycle that is being strengthened and made more frequent by climate change. It highlights the resulting increase in coral bleaching, particularly around the Galápagos Islands, and the broader global risks including severe droughts in India and the Horn of Africa, and heavier rains in the United States. The text notes that the 2026 El Niño event is breaking temperature records, with NOAA predicting it will reach "very strong" levels. WWF is responding by using its Oceans Futures platform to mitigate fisheries conflict and restoring mangroves in countries such as Mexico, Colombia, and Ecuador to improve coastal resilience.

In El Nido, Palawan, the Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute (LAMAVE), Duli Beach Resort, and WWF constructed three concrete, partially buried hatcheries to protect olive ridley, green, and hawksbill sea turtles. These facilities use weather stations and sensors to monitor temperatures in real-time, mitigating the effects of coastal erosion and rising sand temperatures caused by extreme weather and El Niño. The project integrated community-led nightly patrols from November to February, which relocated 190 nests—more than double the previous year's 86 nests—and successfully converted some poachers into conservationists. Despite record-setting heat during an El Niño year that raised nest temperatures by two degrees, the initiative increased hatching success by an average of over 10% across all sites.