IAI-UM Summer Institute on environmental and social implications of land use and land cover change in the Americas

SUMMARY

The Institute explored the dynamics and interactions of land use and land cover change as both major inputs to, and consequences of, global environmental change. Land-use and land-cover changes have major implications for sustainable development and livelihood systems in the Americas. The Institute’s theme was explored from a multidisciplinary perspective, including both its natural and social dimensions. Twenty candidates from the social and natural sciences were selected to participate in the Institute.

ABOUT

To promote effective communication and collaboration between early career natural and social scientists from the Americas, the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) and the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (UM-RSMAS) have joined efforts to implement a Summer Institute on Interdisciplinary Global Change Science in the Americas. The IAI/UM Summer Institute is a 3-year venture with support from the United States’ National Science Foundation.

Each year, the Summer Institute is organized around a regionally important global change issue with societal relevance for the Americas. The Institute’s theme is approached from a multidisciplinary perspective, including both the natural and social dimensions. The chosen theme serves as the central focus for various Institute’s activities (lectures, research mini-projects).

The first Summer Institute was held July 11–30, 1999, and focused on the social and economic dimensions of interannual climate variability.

THE SUMMER INSTITUTE 2000

The second IAI/UM Summer Institute was held in Miami, Florida, USA, between July 16 and August 4, 2000. The theme selected was “Environmental and social implications of land use and land cover change in the Americas”. The 2000 Institute explored the dynamics and interactions of land use and land cover change as both major inputs to, and consequences of, global environmental change. Land-use and land-cover changes have major implications for sustainable development and livelihood systems in the Americas. The Institute’s theme was explored from a multidisciplinary perspective, including both its natural and social dimensions. Twenty participants were selected to participate in the Summer Institute 2000. It is the organizers’ goal to select approximately equal numbers of participants from the social and natural sciences.

PROGRAM

The program for the Summer Institute 2000 included the following sub-themes:

– Overview of issues related to land use/ land cover change
– Conceptualizing global to local scales in land use change
– Methods for monitoring regional land use/ land cover changes
– Modeling land use/ land cover change for global studies
– Linkages between land use/ land cover changes and carbon cycles
– The International Human Dimensions Program land use/land cover science/research plan
– Population growth and environmental change
– The role of property rights, public policy and institutional factors in land use and land cover change

ACTIVITIES

The Institute involved formal lectures and hands-on activities. Two world-class scientists coordinated all activities during the 3-week Institute. The Institute Leaders have complementary backgrounds on the social and natural dimensions of the central theme. The Institute’s theme served as the central focus for most activities. Background lectures by Institute Leaders introduced participants from diverse disciplines to the various dimensions of the Institute’s theme. Recognized experts delivered guest lectures on some of the sub-themes listed in the preliminary Institute Program. The Summer Institute included hands-on research mini-projects that have been carried out by participants. The mini-projects emphasized the need for multidisciplinary, multinational collaboration when dealing with global change problems with multiple natural and social dimensions.