Scientific Capacity Building for Global Change Research

全球变化分析、研究和培训系统（START），以及亚太全球变化研究网络（APN）和非洲伙伴组织（主要是裁武条约泛非区域委员会）将支持关于全球环境变化关键问题的研究项目，以促进这些发展中区域的区域合作，根据美国气候变化科学计划的使命和战略，建立区域研究能力，加强全球变化研究方面的国际努力。大多数这类网络将包括来自该区域至少三个国家的科学家和来自其他感兴趣国家的科学家（例如，美国和日本等发达国家也将参加。预计将支持约20项区域活动，涉及来自亚洲和非洲230个国家的约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。 这些主题还将反映裁武条约与国际地圈生物圈方案、世界气候研究方案和国际全球环境变化人文因素方案的联系。这些研究主题预计是：1）区域气候变异性和变化，包括其影响和适应战略;2）大气组成的变化及其影响;3）土地使用/覆盖的变化及其影响，包括生物物理和地球化学后果; 4）全球变化对陆地生态系统和生物多样性的影响;5）全球变化对沿海地区、内陆沃茨和海洋的影响; 6）交叉主题，例如，对全球变化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进行综合区域评估，预计这些努力将：（1）对全球变化科学和变化探测作出直接贡献;（2）增进对全球变化的区域影响和后果的了解;（3）提高发展中国家利用此类信息进行规划和决策的能力;（4）协助亚洲和非洲发展中地区培养足够数量的更有效的本土研究人员。 一个次要但重要的成果将是在亚洲和非洲大学课程中发展和加强全球变化课程。

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.