Environmental policy priorities: IAI study reveals challenges and opportunities in the Americas
The article titled “Global environmental change policy priorities from the Americas and opportunities to bridge the science-policy gap” is now available in the journal Ecosystems and People at this link. This article is the result of a collaborative effort by the Science Advisory Committees, Science-Policy Committees, Executive Directorate, and Parties of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research, led by the IAI's Open Data Specialist, Matías Mastrangelo. The assessment presented in the article involved the participation of policymakers and scientific researchers from 17 countries across the Americas.
The challenges posed by global environmental change to the countries of the Americas are increasing in number, scale, and level of interconnection. In response, national governments and intergovernmental organizations must prioritize the sets of challenges to be addressed and establish strategic plans and alliances to effectively tackle them. To assist its member countries in this task, the IAI evaluated the policy priorities on global environmental change, as well as the challenges and opportunities for the use of scientific information in decision-making, involving researchers and policymakers from 17 countries in the Americas.
The following three key findings emerged from the assessment. First, Climate Action and Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services are the main priorities for policymakers in the region; however, these priorities are poorly aligned with those of researchers in the same countries. Second, policy priorities on global environmental change are more similar among non-neighboring countries, reinforcing the importance of multinational collaborations in addition to transboundary ones. Third, researchers and policymakers agreed that intersectoral and international cooperation is fundamental for the use of scientific information in decision-making on global environmental change.
The priorities and opportunities identified in this assessment will guide the IAI's actions in capacity building and funding scientific research. Strengthening scientific diplomacy and transdisciplinary science in the region emerge as key strategies to effectively address the challenges of global environmental change.
This assessment and the article were made possible by the collaborative work of IAI staff members, science and science-policy advisory committees and IAI member country focal points. The article was led by Matías Mastrángelo and coordinated by IAI Executive Director Anna Stewart-Ibarra. IAI strategic advisor Irene Torres provided support and advice throughout the assessment, analysis and writing process. Advisory committee members Mercy J. Borbor-Cordova, Margot A. Hurlbert and Jeniffer Silva contributed to the production of the article.
__________________
If you want to share relevant information with the IAI community, write to communication@dir.iai.int.
To stay informed about our calls and events, subscribe to our newsletter here.