United States Participation in the Activities of the International Arctic Science Committee

美国将通过在国际北极科学委员会(IASC)中担任代表美国北极科学界利益的资深北极研究科学家以及担任IASC理事会主席来加强美国对国际北极科学的参与和领导。北极在科学上非常重要，在包括气候变化在内的全球变化中发挥着强大的作用。然而，在北极开展研究提出了许多务实的问题，例如，北极环境恶劣而偏远；该地区大部分地区无法建立永久性设施；八个不同的国家控制着北冰洋的不同部分和邻近陆地地区。因此，北极的国际合作不仅是有益的，而且往往是必不可少的。国际北极科学理事会成立于1990年，目的是鼓励和促进这种合作，它为科学家之间以及科学家与各国政府之间就各种北极科学专题交流信息提供了一个论坛。机构间常委会还通过支持重点突出的小型科学规划会议/讲习班，支持国家北极研究工作的国际协调。美国对机构间冰盖委员会及其理事会的参与和领导将协助机构间常委会优先开展下列工作：评估气候和气候变化对北极及其人民的影响；编制北冰洋国际水深图；研究人类在驯鹿/驯鹿放牧系统中的作用；研究北极冻土带生态系统中的生物复杂性和生物多样性；以及向北极理事会提供科学咨询，该组织的重点是北极环境与土著人民之间的相互作用。

United States participation in and leadership of international Arctic science will be strengthened by a senior U.S. Arctic research scientist representing the interests of the U.S. Arctic science community in the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) and by serving as President of the IASC Council. The Arctic is very important scientifically and plays a strong role in global, including climate, change. However the conduct of research in the Arctic poses many pragmatic problems, e.g., it is a harsh and remote environment; no permanent facilities can be located in much of the region; and eight different countries control various parts of the Arctic Ocean and adjacent land areas. Thus, international cooperation in the Arctic is not only useful, but often essential. IASC, established in 1990 to encourage and promote such cooperation, provides a forum for exchange of information among scientists and between scientists and governments on a wide variety of Arctic science topics. IASC also supports international coordination of national Arctic research efforts by supporting small focused scientific planning meetings/workshops. U.S. participation and leadership in IASC and its Council will assist IASC to address on a priority basis: an assessment of the impact of the climate and climatic changes on the Arctic and its peoples; development of an international bathymetric chart of the Arctic Ocean; a study of the role of humans in caribou/reindeer grazing systems; a study of biocomplexity and biodiversity in Arctic tundra ecosystems; and providing scientific advice to the Arctic Council, an intergovernmental organization that focuses on interaction between the Arctic environment and its indigenous peoples.