Antarctic
Celebrating 60 years of Antarctic Science
This week the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) marks six decades of successful international collaboration
[05. February 2018]
Since its first meeting in The Hague on 3-5 February 1958, SCAR has grown an international network of thousands of scientists who share a common ambition to carry out Antarctic science for the benefit of society. The former AWI-director Prof. Dr. Karin Lochte is the committee’s Vice President for Capacity Building, Education and Training.
Sixty years ago, the International Geophysical Year drew world attention to the importance of continuing international Antarctic collaboration. As an inter-disciplinary committee of the International Council for Science (ICSU) SCAR has been founded to provide objective and independent advice to international bodies such as the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. SCAR is instrumental in initiating, developing and coordinating high quality international scientific research in the Antarctic and the Southern Ocean. Research in the Antarctic is crucial to understanding processes of global significance and to advancing science. Additionally, rapid changes are occurring in parts of Antarctica that could open the continent to a new level of activities in the coming decades. Antarctic governance, administration and environmental protection must be based on scientific data.
SCAR is moving into its seventh decade and has grown substantially in membership – from 12 original members in 1958 to 43 currently. It is now well-established as an internationally recognized and influential organization. This has only been possible through the engagement and support of thousands of researchers from around the world that comprise the SCAR Antarctic scholarly community, together with the support of the SCAR member organizations.
SCAR will celebrate its 60th year at its 35th Meeting and the Open Science Conference (POLAR2018) at Davos in Switzerland from June 15-26 June 2018.
Additional information can be found on the SCAR website at www.scar.org