Reuters AlertNet Lite - IRI's Walter Baethgen Selected to Prestigious Advisory Post

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IRI's Walter Baethgen Selected to Prestigious Advisory Post

24 Dec 2008 19:23:00 GMT
Source: International Research Institute for Climate and Society
Francesco Fiondella

Website: Website: http://iri.columbia.edu

Walter Baethgen, research scientist and director of the Latin America and Caribbean Regional Program at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society, has been invited to become a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI).

Supported by 19 countries, the IAI is dedicated to pursuing the principles of scientific excellence, international cooperation, and the full and open exchange of scientific information to increase the understanding of global change and its socioeconomic implications. This includes understanding how climate variability and change will affect the region's biodiversity, land use and water resources.

"One of the most valuable contributions of the IAI has been the establishment of regional research networks because, on the one hand, it helped the lesser-developed countries increase their research capacity in the global arena and, on the other hand, it provided more developed countries with excellent research issues and problems to establish their studies," says Baethgen.

The IAI's priorities complement IRI's own work in the region, which spans numerous sectors and often enables multi-country cooperation. Its projects work to introduce relevant climate information into the decision-making process and planning for agriculture, water management and public health.

Baethgen has been involved in designing the agenda of the IAI since its creation in 1992. The institute was formed in response to a need for a regional consortium to address global issues. In the 16 years since its creation, IAI has helped bring about a major evolution in the contribution of scientists from lesser developed countries in the Americas. In so doing, Baethgen and his colleagues have made a significant impact on the scientific landscape.

"The IAI is one of the few organizations that have significant funds to support research in global change in the Americas," he says. Latin American research projects tend to receive less funding from the international community due to the overall relative wealth in the region compared to other regions such as Southeast Asia or Africa.

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