Priority 3: Establishing New Connections with Researchers from Developing Nations

Many of the most interesting and important Earth system processes are global in scale and can only be effectively pursued with cooperation among nations and collaborative research efforts among institutions from many countries. To that end, NCAR is actively pursuing new partnerships and expanded collaborations in Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, China and India. We are committed to building scientific capacity in the developing world, to creating opportunities for scientific progress, and to improving the effectiveness of local and regional decision making on environmental and developmental issues.

FY06 Accomplishments

Many of the most interesting and important Earth system processes are global in scale and can only be effectively pursued with collaborative research efforts among institutions from many countries. In NCAR's 2006 Strategic Plan, we expressed an institutional commitment to work collaboratively with scientists through the developing world. Scientists and engineers across NCAR have done just that, organizing and conducting a variety of activities designed to foster the exchange of information and the creation of new joint research opportunities. NCAR scientists organized the first joint colloquium with the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) - See also Goal 3, Priority 1. Entitled, “Policy Planning and Decision Making Involving Climate Change and Variability“, this two-week-long colloquium brought together 21 participants from Latin and South America and the Caribbean for lectures, tours, and training sessions on topics concerning water, agriculture, health, and hazards. NCAR scientists also continued their collaboration with Chinese scientists in building Climate Affairs Centers to address long-term environmental changes in Lanzhou and Xinjiang. NCAR staff are mentoring scientists in India and China to assist them in establishing and operating airborne platforms facilities in support of atmospheric research.

FY07 Plans

In FY2007 NCAR will host two postdoctoral fellows from South America for two-year appointments at NCAR and will develop a technical course to be held in South America on geographic information systems (GIS) technology. Funding for these activities has been provided by the NSF through a special grant which continues through FY2007.

A new Climate Affairs Center, the Heilongjiang Center for Marginal Land Affairs, which is designed to focus on the interactions among ecosystems, society, and future development in northeastern Asia (northwest China and Manchuria), will be established in FY07. With funding from the Indo-US Forum, staff from NCAR and the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting in Delhi will hold a week-long workshop in India in 2007 to highlight the investigations that are made possible through the use of instrumented research aircraft.