927 



MAJOR PROGRAM X: 

 THE HUMAN ENVIRONMENT AND TERRESTRIAL AND MARINE RESOURCES 



The Earth Sciences Program 

 (X.l and X.2) 



Assessment/Potential Impacts 



The earth sciences program of UNESCO is of reasonably high quality. 

 The program is organized into a manageable number of discrete, focused 

 projects, which are pursued in an essentially nonpolitical and scien- 

 tifically competent manner. Program X.l (The Earth's Crust and its 

 Mineral and Energy Resources) and X.2 (Natural Hazards) are administered 

 by the UNESCO Division of Earth Sciences with an annual combined project 

 cost of $1.4 million; total annual cost of the program, including staff 

 and overhead, is slightly over $5 million. These funds are supplemented 

 by funds from sources outside of UNESCO that total annually about $2.3 

 million. The U.S. portion of support of the program is about $1.3 

 million. A significant number of programs in this area are of direct 

 interest and concern to the American scientific community. 



The major activity under subprogram X.l is the International Geolo - 

 gical Correlation Program (IGCP) , which is unique in its joint sponsor- 

 ship since 1973 by UNESCO and the International Union of Geological 

 Sciences (lUGS) , a nongovernmental organization. About 80 countries 

 now actively participate in the IGCP. As a continuation of a program 

 initiated by the lUGS in 1969 largely due to the efforts of U.S. earth 

 scientists, the IGCP was established to provide a means to formulate 

 worldwide correlations among geological strata. Since that time, the 

 program has been broadened to include other kinds of geological 

 research. Participation by U.S. geologists remains prominent. 



More than 300 U.S. scientists are involved in the roughly 50 IGCP 

 working groups that exist at any given time; U.S. scientists have 

 served as leaders of about a dozen projects, with another 30 or so 

 projects having U.S. members serving on international steering commit- 

 tees. U.S. scientists have served continuously on the IGCP Board and 

 its Scientific Committee. U.S. participation has three principal 

 aspects: (1) project activity including scientific research, symposia, 

 field conferences, and the preparation and production of geological 

 maps and reports; (2) Scientific Committee and Board activity, 

 including the provision of expert advice in program development and 

 planning; and (3) support for conferences on earth science topics that 

 might lead to IGCP projects. U.S. participation reflects a combination 

 of governmental/nongovernmental representation, which stems from joint 

 sponsorship and the fact that access to foreign lands requires and 

 involves government agencies and personnel. 



While it is anticipated that U.S. representation will continue on 

 both the IGCP Board and the Scientific Committee,* this is by no means 



*U.S. Department of State Memorandum of Law, December 16, 1983. 



