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The IAI's updated policy mandates that all data and publications from IAI-funded projects be open and accessible, adhering to FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) and CARE (Collective benefit, Authority to control, Responsibility, Ethics) principles. The policy expands the institute's commitment to include open access for publications as well as data. Key implementation measures include the use of Data Management Plans (DMPs), the IAI Harvard Dataverse Repository, and the GBIF platform for biodiversity data. Between 2020 and 2025, the IAI reported a 600% increase in the number of databases in its open data catalog. The 2025-2030 implementation plan focuses on training research teams, supporting regional open data networks in Latin America and the Caribbean, and increasing the capacity of end-users to reuse scientific information.

This joint report from the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) and the Science and Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC) of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) details the committees' activities, membership updates, and strategic recommendations ahead of the 33rd Conference of the Parties (CoP-33) in Asunción, Paraguay.

The IAI's Open Data and Science Working Group has developed an updated Open Access to Data and Publications Policy to align with global Open Science movements. The policy mandates that all data and publications from IAI-funded research be open, adhering to FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) and CARE (Collective benefit, Authority to control, Responsibility, and Ethics) principles. The report details progress in training 12 research teams and a 600% increase in the open data catalog from 2020 to 2025. It also outlines an implementation plan for 2025–2030 focused on increasing regional capacity for data reuse and supporting Indigenous data governance.

This briefing document, prepared by the IAI Directorate for the 33rd meeting of the Conference of the Parties, outlines recommendations from the Advisory Board of the IAI Science Diplomacy Center (SDC). The recommendations focus on expanding capacity building, redesigning fellowship programs, addressing emerging issues like artificial intelligence, and launching a digital Knowledge Hub to integrate science, policy, and diplomacy across the Americas.

A briefing from the Executive Directorate of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) proposing an updated, simplified procedure for granting permanent observer status to states and organizations.

This report provides an update on the establishment of the permanent headquarters for the Directorate of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) in Panama.

The IAI Executive Directorate is currently operating from provisional offices in Panama's City of Knowledge, with permanent offices expected to be fully functional following the formalization of a Headquarters Agreement with SENACYT. Financial operations remain based in Uruguay pending the opening of a bank account in Panama.

The document outlines the process for renewing or filling memberships for the IAI's Science Advisory Committee (SAC) and Science Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC) ahead of the 33rd meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP-33) in May 2025. It recommends the renewal of specific members based on their contributions and specifies the scientific and professional criteria required for new nominees, with a particular emphasis on addressing the underrepresentation of Central America and the Caribbean.

The document provides guidance for the nomination and re-nomination of members to the IAI's Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) and Science and Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC). It recommends the renewal of mandates for several current members and specifies criteria for new candidates, emphasizing scientific excellence, international recognition in the Americas, and a need for better representation from Central America and the Caribbean. Nominations are due by April 28, 2025, with elections scheduled for May 29-30, 2025, during CoP-33 in Asunción, Paraguay.

The document reports that as of March 31, 2025, the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research had received 78% of the approved contributions for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. While overall expenses were 10% lower than budgeted, the Executive Directorate warns that delays in voluntary contributions significantly limit its operational capacity. The report also outlines projected voluntary contributions for the next three fiscal years, with the USA providing the largest share.

The IAI is requesting an operating budget of US$ 1.68 million for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, which remains unchanged from the previous year. Preliminary requests for subsequent years show a gradual increase, reaching US$ 1.8522 million by 2027-2028. The budget is funded by contributions from member countries, with the USA providing the largest share. The IAI reports administrative adjustments to optimize spending and a reduction in IT costs following its move to Panama.

The brief details key decisions from CBD COP16, including the Global Action Plan on Biodiversity and Health, the establishment of the Cali Fund for benefit-sharing from genetic resources, and the creation of a permanent forum for Indigenous Peoples and local communities (SB 8j). It highlights new frameworks for integrating biodiversity into climate action, marine area protection, and the recognition of diverse knowledge systems and the rights of people of African descent.

The document outlines key decisions from COP16 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CDB), focusing on the integration of biodiversity with climate action, public health, and marine protection. It highlights the adoption of the Global Action Plan on Biodiversity and Health, the establishment of the Cali Fund for genetic resource benefit-sharing, and new governance structures for indigenous peoples, local communities, and Afro-descendants. The brief also emphasizes the need for continued technical and scientific support to implement these decisions within national biodiversity strategies.

The study analyzed macrobenthic communities in five Uruguayan coastal lagoons across three spatial scales and four months in 2005. It found that community structure is primarily driven by spatial variation rather than short-term temporal changes, with the most significant differences occurring between the closed, eutrophic Diario lagoon and those intermittently connected to the ocean. Key environmental drivers include total suspended solids, conductivity, sediment organic matter, phytobenthic chlorophyll a, and macrophyte total biomass.

The document examines how the mechanization of sugarcane cutting and planting, alongside new technologies and expanded ethanol exports, is altering the Brazilian sugarcane sector's structure and impacting employment. It highlights the risk of a 'social catastrophe' due to job losses and suggests using carbon market sales from carbon sequestration provided by mechanized harvesting to fund worker retirement or retraining.

The research describes the evolution of a 430 km delta front in southern Buenos Aires Province, which was most active around 9,000 calibrated years BP. While the Colorado and Negro rivers once contributed to a large delta system when sea levels were significantly lower, current conditions have left only a minor remnant delta for the Colorado River and an estuary for the Negro River.

The study identifies that the maximum surface phytoplankton bloom in the Sergipe-Alagoas Basin occurs in June, beginning in March, driven primarily by wind mixing and water temperature changes rather than river inflow.

The research applies a driver-response model to two watersheds in the Arizona-Sonora borderlands to analyze social-ecological interactions. In the Río Magdalena, smallholder agriculture employs low-impact adaptive strategies. In Ambos Nogales, urban growth and infrastructure-based solutions, such as inter-basin water transfers, dominate, while wastewater flows and climate change present ongoing challenges. The study argues that cross-border collaboration is essential for adaptation in these mutually conditioned systems.

The paper argues that because political borders rarely align with ecological boundaries, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) framework can serve as a basis for transboundary conservation. By focusing on shared ecosystem services—such as groundwater, pollination, and cultural values—the MA framework allows countries to frame conservation around mutual interests, engage diverse stakeholders, and assess tradeoffs between different service uses.

The document examines the 'double exposure' of climate and globalization processes in the U.S.-Mexico border region, highlighting water scarcity as a primary vulnerability. It analyzes the challenges of binational institutional landscapes and evaluates three collaboration cases in the Arizona-Sonora region to identify factors that increase long-term resilience.