IGC P 20 19 UNE S C O an nual r e por t 4 2 De f i ni t i on o f I G CP T he I n t er na t i on al G e os c i enc e P ro g ra mm e IGC P s er v es as a k now l ed g e hu b of UNE S C O to f ac i l i t at e i nt er nat i on a l s c i e n t if i c c oo p er at i on in th e g e o sc i e n ce s The IGC P m is s io n i nc l u de s p r om ot i ng s u s t ai na bl e us e of na t ur al r e s o ur c es adv anc i ng ne w i n i t ia t i v e s r e l at ed to g eo di v er s i t y an d geo her i t age a nd ge ohaz a r ds r i sk m i t i g at i on S i n ce 1 97 2 th e I nt er na t i o na l G e o sci e n ce P ro g ra mm e I G CP h as pa r t n er ed wi t h t he I nt er na t i o na l Un i o n of G eol o gi c al S c i e nc es IU GS to br i ng t o get he r t h o us an ds of Ea r t h s c ie n t is t s f r om ar o un d th e wo r l d and a llo w e d t h em to b en ef i t f r om t he c oo p er at i v e s p ir it g e ner at ed u nd er t he um br e l l a of UNE S C O T he IG C P pr om ot e s c o l l a bor at i v e pr oj ec t s wi t h a s p ec i al em ph as i s on t he be nef i t to s oc i et y c ap ac i t y b ui l di n g a nd t he adv anc em ent a nd s har i ng of k now l ed ge bet w een s c ie n t is t s wi t h an em pha s i s on No r t h So u t h an d So u t h So u t h c oo p er at i on I G CP o per at e s by pr ov i di n g s e ed f u nd i ng g r ant s dona t ed by UNE S C O I UG S a nd e xt r a bud ge t ar y s ou r c es IGC P pr oj e c t s pr i m ar i l y deal wi t h g e os c i e nc es on g l ob al i s s ue s wit h i n it s f i ve t hem es E ar t h R es our c es G l oba l C h ang e G e o ha z ar ds H y d r og eo l og y an d G eody n a m i c s E a ch pr oj e c t has an av er a ge l i f es p an of f i ve ye a r s an d it s pr og r es s is as s e s s ed an nua l l y t hr o ug h a r i g or ou s pee r r ev i ew p r o ce ss c on du c t ed by t he I G CP C ounc i l f o llo w in g th e ev al ua t i on re p o rt s f r om m em b er s of t he S c i ent i f i c B o ar d dur i ng t he f ir s t hal f of Febr uar y T he S c i ent i f i c B oar d a nd IGC P C ou nc i l a re a ls o r es po ns i b l e f or e v al u at i ng new pr oj e c t pr op os al s The S c ie n t i f ic Bo a r d co n si s t s of about 50 sp e c i a l i st s r es p on s i bl e f or th e t ec hn i c a l r e v i e w s and it wo r k s el ec t r oni c al l y onl y B o ar d m em b er s a re ap poi n t ed as s p e c i a lis t s in t hei r g i v en f ie l d f or ea c h of t he f i ve IGC P t hem es wi t h pr ef er a bl y an ov er l ap in t h e E ar t h s c i e nc es f ie l d s a nd r e f le c t s a w o r l d w id e ge o gr a phi c d i s t r i but i o n T h e IG C P C ou nc i l co n si s t s of s ix m em b er s a c h ai r pe r s on an d f i ve e x per t s one f or e ac h IGC P t hem e an d t hey m e et a n nual l y at U N E S C O H e ad qua r t er s As t he IG C P ha s a l im it e d budg et IGC P s up p or t is s p e c ia l ly al l o c at ed to s u pp or t i ng s c ie n t is t s f r om de v e l op i ng c o unt r i es