El Programa Internacional de Geociencias de la UNESCO PICG-596 y la internacionalización de la Ciencia Española

Abstract

The main goal of IGCP 596 funded by UNESCO and IUGS (2011-2016) was to analyse climatic change and biodiversity patterns during the Mid-Palaeozoic (Devonian, Carboniferous). Besides, three unique intervals were examined in detail: 1) Givetian greenhouse; 2) Early-Middle Frasnian (punctata Zone) beginning of climate change and 3) Late Famennian-Tour- naisian icehouse. During the opening Meeting (Graz, Austria, 2011) the Spanish proposal of creating a regional group within the project was unanimously approved. The Spanish Working Group has been one or the more active ones and its leadership had a special impact in the Lower Devonian Stages (Valenzuela-Ríos and Liao, 2016) and Givetian (Liao and Valenzuela-Ríos, 2016). In addition to the numerous scientific contributions the IGCP 596 was a platform for developing new collaborations and joint projects. Spain reached a strong leadership and was at the cutting-edge in these matters; however, the lack of appro- priate support by the Spanish Government had a negative impact in the Spanish scientific progress within the international context and has considerable shrink the promising future perspectives, which would have been reached with the proper economic support.