Scientific Capacity Building for Global Change Research

全球变化分析、研究和培训系统将同亚太全球变化研究网和非洲伙伴组织（主要是泛非全球变化分析、研究和培训区域委员会）一起支持关于全球环境变化关键问题的研究项目，目的是促进这些发展中区域的区域合作；建设区域研究能力，加强与美国气候变化科学计划的使命和战略相一致的全球变化研究的国际努力。一个特别的重点将是通过区域竞争性分奖项发展科学家的合作研究网络。大多数这样的网络将包括来自该地区至少三个国家的科学家，其他感兴趣的国家（例如，美国、日本和其他发达国家）的科学家也将参与。预计将支持大约20项区域活动，涉及来自亚洲和非洲230个国家的大约120-150名研究人员和大量研究生。拟议的活动将强调不仅反映全球变化研究需要而且也反映这种研究促进可持续发展的能力的主题。这些主题还将反映START与国际地圈-生物圈方案（IGBP）、世界气候研究方案（WCRP）和国际全球环境变化人的层面方案（IHDP）的联系。研究主题包括：1)区域气候变率与变化及其影响与适应策略；2)大气成分的变化及其影响；3)土地利用/覆被变化及其影响；4)全球变化对陆地生态系统和生物多样性的影响；5)全球变化对海岸带、内陆水域和海洋的影响；6)跨领域主题，例如全球变化的综合区域评估以及全球变化与粮食系统、水资源、碳循环和人类健康的关系。预计这些努力将：(1)对全球变化科学和变化检测作出直接贡献；(2)加强对全球变化的区域影响和后果的理解；(3)提高发展中国家利用这类信息进行规划和决策的能力；(4)协助在亚非发展中地区培养一批更有效的本土研究人员。次要但重要的成果将是发展和加强亚洲和非洲大学课程中的全球变化课程。

The Global Change SysTem for Analysis, Research and Training (START), together with the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN) and African partner organizations (primarily the Pan-Africa regional Committee for START (PACOM), will support research projects on critical issues of global environmental change aimed at fostering regional collaboration in these developing regions, building regional capacity for research and strengthening the international effort on global change research consistent with the mission and strategy of the US Climate Change Science Plan.A special focus will be development of collaborative research networks of scientists through regional competitive sub-awards. Most such networks will include scientists from at least three countries in the region and scientists from other interested countries (e.g., the U.S. and Japan and other developed countries) will also participate. It is expected that about twenty regional activities will be supported involving approximately 120-150 researchers and a large number of graduate students from twenty-thirty countries in Asia and Africa. The proposed activities will emphasize themes that reflect not only global change research needs but also the ability of such research to contribute to sustainable development. These themes will also reflect START's linkages to the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP), the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) and the International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change (IHDP). These research themes are expected to be:1) Regional climate variability and change, including its impacts and adaptation strategies;2) Changes in composition of the atmosphere and its effects;3) Land use/cover change and its impacts; including biophysical and biogeochemical consequences,4) Global change impacts on terrestrial ecosystems and biodiversity;5) Global change impacts on coastal zones, inland waters and oceans; and6) Cross-cutting themes, e.g., integrated regional assessments of global change and the relation of global change to food systems, water resources, the carbon cycle and human health.It is expected that these efforts will: (1) make a direct contribution to global change science and change detection; (2) enhance understanding of regional impacts and consequences of global change; (3) improve ability to use such information for planning and decision-making in developing countries; (4) assist to develop a critical mass of more effective indigenous researchers in developing Asian and African regions. A secondary yet important outcome will be development and enhancement of global change courses in Asian and African university curricula.