Page 7 - DIVA_4_2006_No.27

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Southei'n Ocean surround- Geneva, then Cambridge what are the reasons beliind wliat were tlieir intentions
ing Antarctic continent. and recently in them-not only natural and propositions for paitici-
Longyearbyen, Svalbard. ones but also anthropogenic pating in tliis important
Recently, we realized tliat ones? The tliird point is event.
we would soon reacli tlie Q: So what are you plan- wliat impact tliese changes
fiftieth anniversary of tlie ning to do during for this may have on the rest of tlie The response was over-
International Geophysical Polar Year? globe. The fourtl'i point is wlielming. We received
Year. Two initiating organi- related to scientific fron- more tl'ian 1,200 proposals,
zations, namely the We staited to think aborit tiers. For instance, recently, whicli presented the Joint
International Council for what is going on in the scientists discovered some Committee witli a liuge
Science (ICSU) and WA/IO, Arctic as well as in the sub-glacial lakes in tlie task.
decided to celebrate tliis Antarctic. There are some Antarctic and that's an
anniversaiy and started to drastic changes taking interesting phenomenon We divided these 1,200
tliink about how this shorild place, such as climate that we did not la'iow much ideas into three grorips
be done. The series of plan- cliange affecting living con- about. Tlie next point is why firstly, cluster projects that
ning grorip meetings were ditions for tlie local people. do we not use tlie position were large enorigh to absorb
l'ield, and finally WMO and And tlie ecological systems of the poles as a vantage other projects; secondly,
ICSU established a Joint too, lilce wliite polar bears points, and tlien, of course, projects tliat were not big
Coini'nittee for Intei'national suffering from the fact tliat we worild like to rise tliis for enorigh to be independent
Polar Year 2007-2008 (IPY) tlie sea-ice coverage is some scientific researcli. and tlierefore liad to be
to start IPY preparation. slirinking. We liave to make Finally, the sixth point is associated witli one of tlie
Tlie Committee consist of a more exact evaluation of examining tlie social fac- cluster projects; and, lastly,
selected fourteen prominent tlie sihiation. tors, sucb as tlie living con- ones that were not accept-
scientists from different dis- ditions of tlie indigenoris able.
ciplines and five representa- We decided to examine sev- people, liow climate
tives from iiiternational eral topics or themes. We changes affect them, what Finally, by end of January
organizations under co- liaye to look at what is tlieir contribution to global 2006, IPY International
chairmansliip of Dr Ian going on in tlie Polar cultural diversity and so on. Prograinine Office located
Allison (Australia) and Dr Regions riglit now-tliat's in Cambridge liad received
Michel Beland (Canada). tlie first point. Secondly, WMO and ICSU then con- more tlian 450 project pro-
We met evei'y six montlis, what are the clianges at the tacted all tlieir Member- posals based on tliese
starting in Paris, tlien poles we can identify and countries and asked tlien'i expressions of intent. You

5 2006 Diva 5

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