History
IGBP was started in 1987 by ICSU at the time the need of an international collaborative research endeavour on the phenomenon of global change, emerged. The ICSU then appointed a Special Committee to guide the planning and initial implementation of the programme. The planning phase run from 1987 to 1990 and involved about 500 scientists worldwide. The implementation began in the early 90s with the official launch of five projects (BAHC, GCTE, IGAC, JGOFS, and PAGES) while five additional projects began over the course 90s (LOICZ, LUCC, GAIM, DIS, START). Infrastructural support was provided by IGBP Secretariat in Stockholm, Sweden (established in 1989) and by international project offices in North America, Europe and Australia.
The synthesis of key findings during its first decade of operation (IGBP-I: 1990-1999) settled the foundations for the launching of the second phase of research (IGPB-II: 2004-2013). The IGBP-II programme is thus based on new set of overarching scientific questions arising from the synthesis of phase I, and organised around a new scientific structure. The new structure is based on a suite of both new and refocused projects that reflect the three major Earth System components -land, ocean and atmosphere-, the interfaces between these compartments and system-level integration through time and space.
The synthesis of key findings during its first decade of operation (IGBP-I: 1990-1999) settled the foundations for the launching of the second phase of research (IGPB-II: 2004-2013). The IGBP-II programme is thus based on new set of overarching scientific questions arising from the synthesis of phase I, and organised around a new scientific structure. The new structure is based on a suite of both new and refocused projects that reflect the three major Earth System components -land, ocean and atmosphere-, the interfaces between these compartments and system-level integration through time and space.