The role of the IGCP Spanish National Committee in the UNESCO-IUGS Global enterprise, working together for constructing a better world

Abstract

The Spanish National Committee (SNC) has a long tradition going back at the Program dawning, as Spanish delegates took part in the initial discussions of “Experts” from 52 countries in Paris (1971). Between 1973 and 1975 a Commission was working to set the basis for the successful constitution of the SNC in 1975; in 1976 Spanish scientists started their collaboration in the IGCP and since them Spain has been very active. The SNC was one of the pioneer Committees, together with other three countries (Austria, Sweden and Switzerland). The goals of this report are to briefly summarize the contribution of the SNC to the aims of IGCP and to stand out the implications of this labour for the advancement of the Geosciences in Spain and its consequences. The outcome of the SNC activities linked to the IGCP has had impact in several aspects, being critical the improvement of Earth Science education in Spain through the relation between education and research. The Spanish participation in the IGCP fostered the advancement in geological knowledge and the public outreach of results that would even be enhanced with the new International Geoscience Geoparks Programme. Another relevant aspects have been the development of international scientific cooperation, its importance in the future of geological research and its impact to society. Through the participation in more than 100 IGCP projects (out of about 350 funded), Spain has contributed to the active participation of more than 1,000 Spanish scientists in the global net and has also pursued an intergenerational approach, supporting the presence of many young (master and Ph. D. students) and early carrier scientists. Within the frame of active working groups close to 100 Doctoral Thesis have been finished and many special symposia, fieldtrips and workshops have been organised in Spain. Scientific contributions are enormous and can serve as example of the Spanish contribution to IGCP main goals.The participation of Spain in the IGCP over 40 years has been instrumental in exchanging and advancing the geological knowledge upon which the society has to built a better and more sustainable world for future generations. The IGCP has also been fundamental in allowing Spanish scientists to participate in (and sometimes establish) international multidisciplinary research teams with production of high-quality data and facilitating the collaboration of senior and early career scientist and Ph.D. students. All these actions are relevant for effectively contributing to solve some of the main problems that our modern society is facing and consequently, the SNC plays an important role in developing the IGCP motto: “Geology in the Service of Society”