Those interested in participating in the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment
(ACIA) project should contact Prof. Gunter Weller, gunter [at] gi.alaska.edu
and visit the ACIA web site at: http://www.acia.uaf.edu/default.html
AN INVITATION TO NOMINATE PARTICIPANTS
in the
ARCTIC CLIMATE IMPACT ASSESSMENT
An Assessment of Consequences of Climate Variability and Change and the
Effects of Increased UV in the Arctic Region
Dear Colleague,
An international project entitled "Arctic Climate Impact Assessment" or ACIA
is about to commence under the auspices of working groups of the Arctic
Council and of the International Arctic Science Committee. This letter is
an invitation to nominate authors for the assessment. The ACIA's goal is to
evaluate and synthesize knowledge on climate variability, climate change,
and increased ultraviolet radiation and their consequences. Climate
variability and change, and more recently, notable increases in UV
radiation, have become important issues in the Arctic over the past few
decades. The ACIA will examine possible future impacts on the environment
and its living resources, on human health, and on infrastructure (roads,
airfields etc.). Such an assessment is expected to lead to the development
of fundamental and useful information for the nations of the Arctic region,
their economy, resources, and peoples.
A major peer-reviewed scientific volume is to be completed by 2004. The
assessment will be open and transparent and the review of its conclusions is
intended to be credible and rigorous; also the degree of uncertainty of the
conclusions will be made clear. Broad participation of experts from many
different disciplines and countries is anticipated and the writing of this
document will be done by lead and contributing authors guided by an
Assessment Steering Committee (ASC) with representatives from AMAP (Arctic
Monitoring and Assessment Program), CAFF (Conservation of Arctic Fauna and
Flora) and IASC (International Arctic Science Committee), as well as persons
representing the Arctic indigenous peoples, all lead authors of the
assessment, and others. The United States has established a secretariat in
support of the ACIA.
We invite you to nominate authors to help in the writing of the assessment.
The ACIA is quite interdisciplinary and experts from many different fields
are needed. Examples of the kinds of impacts to be assessed are listed in
the ACIA planning document which can be found on the ACIA website at
http://www.acia.uaf.edu/. We ask you to submit the names of suitable
contributors, together with a brief statement of the proposed candidate(s)'
qualifications to help write the assessment. This should note proven
excellence in relevant research and breadth of understanding of the subject.
We request that nominations be submitted to the ACIA Secretariat at the
address below no later than 1 June 2000. The Terms of Reference for authors
are attached. The ASC will coordinate the selection of authors by early summer.
Sincerely,
Robert Corell Pal Prestrud
Chair, ASC Vice-Chair, ASC
Prof. Gunter Weller, ACIA Secretariat
301 International Arctic Research Center
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Fairbanks, AK 99775-7740, USA
Tel. 1 907 474 7371
Fax. 1 907 474 6722
gunter [at] gi.alaska.edu
TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR ACIA AUTHORS
The Arctic Climate Impact Assessment will be conducted by an
interdisciplinary group of expert authors from Arctic and non-Arctic
countries. A number of lead authors for major themes still to be determined
will lead groups of contributing authors in the writing of the impact
assessment. They will be guided by an Assessment Steering Committee (ASC)
already established for the ACIA. Lead authors will become regular members
of the ASC.
The responsibilities of the lead authors are to:
- Oversee the writing of the impact assessment of the major themes
assigned to them and coordinate all work related to the writing and
assembly of the chapter dealing with that theme. - Foster cooperation and cross-fertilization between the authors of the
chapter assigned to them and with the lead authors of other chapters. - Call for and integrate inputs to their chapter from organizations such
as AMAP, CAFF, IASC, IPCC and other organizations and countries. - Ensure circulation of drafts within the group writing the chapter and
with the lead authors of other chapters. - Provide assistance to a scientific editor in the writing of a synthesis
volume summarizing the assessment results.
The responsibilities of contributing authors are to:
- Contribute to the writing of the chapter assigned to the group.
- Respond to requests from the lead author for input to the chapter.
The lead authors will meet with contributing authors in workshops as needed;
these workshops will be organized through the ACIA Secretariat. Lead authors
will also meet at regular intervals with the ASC to report on progress and
to discuss any problems.