942 



57 



interim alternatives are proposed, the most efficient and effective one 

 being maximum use of direct contributions to UNESCO (Funds-in-Trust , 

 donations, etc.) backed up by USMAB-managed activities. 



A second alternative would emphasize considerable project manage- 

 ment by USMAB or some other body sensitive to U.S. interests. In both 

 cases, there would be active involvement of nongovernmental organiza- 

 tions such as ICSU, including the International Union of Biological 

 Sciences (lUBS) and the ICSU Scientific Committee on Problems of the 

 Environment (SCOPE) , and the International Union for the Conservation 

 of Nature and Natural Resources (lUCN) . Both alternatives include 

 seconding a top-level U.S. science administrator to the UNESCO 

 secretariat to provide substantive input and links to peer partici- 

 pation assuming agreement by UNESCO. Both alternatives also include 

 significant managerial and overhead costs, although the second would 

 certainly be higher. Funds must be earmarked in both alternatives to 

 encourage innovative projects by U.S. investigators for multilateral 

 exploratory work in fields related to MAB interests, such as the longer- 

 term elaboration of a program on global change. For example, it is 

 recommended that consideration be given to supporting the further 

 development of the International Satellite Land-Surface Climatology 

 Pro]ect cosponsored by the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) of ICSU 

 and the International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics 

 (lAMAP) . In all cases, a particularly sensitive matter pertains to 

 ensuring the continuity of funding for scientific work over time — an 

 "on/off" situation would be detrimental to all parties concerned. 



In summary, interim alternatives for this overall MAB-related 

 program area are as follows: 



Alternative Option 1 : 



(1) Funds-in-Trust , contribution (including overhead) 

 for selected X.6-X.9 activities 



(2) Secondment of U.S. science administrator, plus 

 support services, to UNESCO staff 



$ 900,000/yr. 

 150,000/yr. 



(3) USMAB -administered X.6-X.9 activities, new 

 initiatives, oversight/management costs 



950,000/yr. 

 $2,000,000/yr. 



Alternative Option 2 ; 



(1) USMAB -administered program directly related 



to ongoing international MAB, new initiatives, 

 oversight/management costs 



$l,850,000/yr. 



(2) Secondment of a U.S. science administrator, plus 

 support services, to UNESCO staff 



150,000/yr, 

 $2,C00,000/yr, 



