Fostering a Collaborative Atmospheric Chemistry Research Community in the Latin America and Caribbean Region

Abstract

In 2013, the international Commission on Atmospheric Chemistry and Global Pollution (iCACGP) and the International Global Atmospheric Chemistry (IGAC) Project Americas Working Group (iCACGP/IGAC AWG) was formed to build a cohesive network and foster the next generation of atmospheric scientists with the goal of contributing to a scientific community focused on building collective knowledge for the Americas. The Latin America–Caribbean (LAC) region shares common history, culture, and socioeconomic issues but, at the same time, it is highly diverse in its physical and human geography. The LAC region is unique because approximately 80% of its population lives in urban areas, resulting in high-density hotspots of urbanization and vast unpopulated rural areas. In recent years, most countries of the region have experienced rapid growth in population and industrialization as their economies emerge. The rapid urbanization, the associated increases in mobile and industrial sources, and the growth of the agricultural activities related to biomass burning have degraded air quality in certain areas of the LAC region. Air pollution has negative implications for human health, ecosystems, and climate. In addition, air pollution and the warming caused by greenhouse gases could impact the melting of Andean glaciers, an important source of freshwater. To better understand the links between air pollution and climate, it is necessary to increase the number of atmospheric scientists and improve our observational, analytical, and modeling capacities. This requires sustained and prioritized funding as well as stronger collaboration within the LAC region.

Characterizing and Quantifying African Dust Transport and Deposition to South America: Implications for the Phosphorus Budget in the Amazon Basin

“…There is a growing recognition of this need. Organizing efforts are underway to develop a more cohesive and sustained community of atmospheric scientists in the Latin America-Caribbean region to address the pressing issues of air quality and climate change (Andrade-Flores et al, 2016).…”

Key challenges for tropospheric chemistry in the Southern Hemisphere

“…Multiple studies have highlighted the scarcity of air quality monitoring in South America and the deficient accessibility of air quality data and absence of information on the quality of these data and control protocols (e.g., Andrade-Flores et al, 2016;Riojas-Rodrı ´guez et al, 2016;Pela ´ez et al, 2020). Further, except in Argentina and Chile, no locally derived national emission inventories of criteria pollutants are available in South America, although local emission inventories exist for growing urban areas and/or megacities for air quality and public health studies (Huneeus et al, 2020).…”

The Latin America Early Career Earth System Scientist Network (LAECESS): addressing present and future challenges of the upcoming generations of scientists in the region

“…iLEAPS has regional ECS groups whose goal is to provide opportunities to meet and engage with their interdisciplinary international broad community, where ECS can connect with established scientists through workshops, training events, and regional networks. On the other hand, IGAC has regional networks, such as IGAC Americas Working Group (although not ECS only), which goal is to contribute to the development of a scientific community focused on building collective knowledge in/for the Americas including training and fostering the next generation of scientists 64 . Both groups often meet at conferences, and some members were or are part of both networks.…”