The growing urbanization and industrialization of our globe has raised serious concerns about the anthropogenic impact on the chemical composition of our atmosphere and hydrosphere, the climate of our planet and the ability of ecosystems to meet human needs for goods and services (food, water, health, etc.).

The United States National Research Council convened a Committee on Atmospheric Chemistry to evaluate the adequacy of our existing measurements and plans for the future in the area of changing chemical composition of the atmosphere. The committee agreed that "current observational systems are inadequate to address the need for characterizing important medium- and long-term air quality changes", and recommended that "high priority should be given to programs that aid in assessing long-term trends of background ozone and particulate matter." (NRC Report, Global Air Quality: An Imperative for Long-Term Observational Strategies, National Academy Press, Washington, D.C., 2001)

• Establish a network of aerosol monitoring stations that covers a continuous landmass from Antartica through to the Arctic.
  
• Study the sources, sinks, atmospheric transportation, and distribution of aerosols.
  
• Characterize chemical, optical, and microphysical properties of atmospheric aerosols.
  
• Study aerosol effects on cloud formation, precipitation, regional hydrological cycles.
  
• Establish multidisciplinary research centers for Atmospheric/ Biospheric Studies across Latin America.