Search Climate Insights Directory

The 31st meeting of the IAI Conference of the Parties approved the 2023-2024 operating budget and established new research mandates focusing on the nexus of climate, health, and oceans. The meeting also authorized the creation of a Scientific Diplomacy Center, the establishment of an Advisory Committee for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, and the invitation of the University of the West Indies and the Global Change Research Center of the National University of Asunción to join the Institute.

This document is a list of participants for the 31st Meeting of the Executive Council to the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research, held on June 21, 2023, in Panama City and via videoconference.

The SAC and SPAC conducted joint monthly meetings to coordinate on several regional initiatives, including the development of a Gender and EDI Policy, the establishment of the Science Diplomacy Center, and the creation of IPCC policy briefs for the Latin American and Caribbean region. Key activities included a training program on transdisciplinary research for climate, environment, and health responders, and participation in the Americas Conference on Solar Radiation Modification. The committees recommend that the IAI Directorate establish a formal research and training program on the climate-environment-health nexus and participate in the Hydro-Climate Research Program of the Andes (ANDEX).

The IAI's STeP Fellowship program, designed to train early-career scientists in the science-policy interface, has seen significant growth with 64 total fellows from 13 countries. In November 2022, 30 fellows participated in a Science Diplomacy Leadership Workshop in Uruguay, resulting in a leadership declaration. This declaration commits the fellows to transdisciplinary approaches, inclusive decision-making, and the pursuit of transformative change to address urgent challenges in the Americas.

The IAI Directorate reported progress in integrating gender and equity into scientific projects, enhancing the science-policy interface through the Science Diplomacy Center (SDC) and STeP fellowships, and implementing regional climate and health initiatives. Key achievements include the launch of a climate and health responder course for Latin America, the publication of a compendium on climate impacts in the LAC region, and the development of a drought information system for Southern South America. The Directorate also expanded its collaborative research actions with the Belmont Forum and established partnerships with organizations like the WMO and PAHO to improve climate risk assessments and early warning systems.

The IAI Executive Direction reports progress across science, capacity building, and strategic implementation between 2022 and 2023. Key achievements include the establishment of a Gender, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (GEDI) committee, the launch of the Science Diplomacy Center (SDC), and the expansion of the Science, Technology, and Policy (STeP) Fellowship program to 64 fellows from 13 countries. The IAI also advanced regional initiatives on the climate-health nexus, drought information systems in South America, and collaborative research through the Belmont Forum. Strategic partnerships were strengthened with organizations such as the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to enhance climate risk assessment and science-policy interfaces in the Americas.

This briefing document notifies the Conference of the Parties that Dr. Anna Stewart Ibarra was elected as the Executive Director of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) and will present her vision and priorities at the 31st meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

The document announces the appointment of Dr. Anna Stewart Ibarra as Executive Director of the IAI, effective June 1, 2023, and schedules her oral presentation on strategic priorities for the 31st meeting of the Conference of the Parties in Panama City.

A briefing document from the IAI Directorate notifying the Executive Council that Dr. Anna Stewart Ibarra was elected as the Executive Director of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research and will present her vision and priorities at the 31st meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

This briefing provides an update on the Initiative for enhancing capacity for climate risk assessment and catalyzing partnerships to inform decisions in Latin America and the Caribbean (LACI). It details the initiative's progress from a scoping and partnership building phase involving 14 countries to a pilot co-design phase featuring four specific projects aimed at strengthening climate risk assessments and data interoperability in the region.

This briefing provides an update on the Initiative for Conducting a National Climate Assessment in Support of Adaptation and Mitigation (LACI), an effort led by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) to strengthen climate risk assessments and decision-making in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The report details two Steering Committee meetings held in Uruguay and the United States to define the vision, mission, and goals of the IAI Center for Science Diplomacy (SDC). Key recommendations include strengthening the science-policy interface in Latin America and the Caribbean, focusing on climate action priorities such as food security and ocean management, and developing a knowledge center for science diplomacy. The SDC aims to leverage the IAI's existing STeP fellowship program and collaborate with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for fundraising and capacity building.

The IAI Executive Directorate has expanded its digital outreach to better communicate global change research. In 2022, the IAI website saw nearly 39,000 users, a 21% increase over the previous year. The organization experienced significant growth across social media platforms, particularly on Instagram (353% increase in accounts reached) and Facebook (278% increase in page reach). Twitter remains the most active platform with 2,380 followers and a 40% increase in impressions compared to 2021. Additionally, the IAI newsletter's contact list has nearly tripled, and mass emails sent between March 2022 and January 2023 showed an 80% performance improvement with 25,515 views.

The STeP Fellowship Program aims to build human and institutional capacities in IAI member states to provide expert scientific advice for public policy on global change. Between 2022 and 2023, the program expanded its cohort to 64 fellows from 13 countries, providing training in science diplomacy, communication, and leadership. Key achievements include the graduation of the first cohort of 17 alumni in February 2023 and the development of science diplomacy projects covering topics such as the lithium supply chain, circular economy, and climate justice. The program is currently seeking financial support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

This briefing provides an update on the Latin America and Caribbean Initiative (LACI), an effort by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) to strengthen climate risk assessments and capacity building for adaptation and mitigation in the region.

The report outlines the progress of the LACI initiative, which aims to strengthen climate risk assessments to support local and regional decision-making. Following a scoping phase involving 14 countries to identify priorities and map capacities, the initiative has entered a pilot co-design phase with four specific projects focusing on El Salvador, regional data interoperability, Amazonia, and Jamaica.

This document is a report on the 2023 Extraordinary meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP) to the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), held via videoconference on 18 April 2023. The primary purpose of the meeting was the election of a new Executive Director for the IAI.

The 2023 Extraordinary meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) was held on 18 April 2023 to elect a new Executive Director. Following a recruitment process overseen by a 10-member search committee, Dr. Anna Stewart Ibarra was recommended and subsequently elected to a three-year term. The search committee highlighted the need for the IAI to bridge the gap between science and policy to address global environmental change challenges in the Americas.

On April 18, 2023, the IAI Conference of the Parties held an extraordinary meeting via videoconference to elect a new executive director. Following a selection process managed by a 10-member committee, Dr. Anna Stewart-Ibarra was recommended and subsequently elected to the position for a three-year term. The selection committee emphasized the need for leadership capable of bridging the gap between science and policy to address global environmental change in the Americas.

The Gender and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee, composed of representatives from several American nations and scientific bodies, has developed a draft implementation plan for the IAI's Gender, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Policy. The report recommends the adoption of draft decisions to formalize the committee's monitoring role and to establish a new Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Advisory Committee to ensure equitable participation in the Institute's scientific and strategic planning.