The international activities carried out within the framework of the OZCAR-RI are multiple. They aim of this WP is to foster an European integration in the eLTER ESFRI RI structure, at structuring of international partnerships (TERENO, US CZO, etc.), and at preparing and particpating in European and international calls for project, as well as at supporting the international mobility of young scientists.

At the European level, OZCAR-RI is participating in the construction of the European research infrastructure eLTER ESFRI, notably through the structuration of the eLTER France community (OZCAR and Réseau des Zones Ateliers RIs), french mirror of eLTER RI. The OZCAR-RI also creates links with other European network such as the German network of terrestrial observatories “TERENO” (https://www.tereno.net/). The two networks have joined their forces to organize an international conference to be held alternatively in France and Germany every two years. The first “OZCAR TERENO” conference took place on 4-8 October 2021 in Strasbourg (https://ozcartereno2020.sciencesconf.org/).

At international level, OZCAR-RI has a strong policy of collaboration with the Critical Zone Observatories in the United-States (US CZO). This bilateral collaboration has materialized in an international mobility program SAVI OZCAR in 2016 and 2018 to promote the development of scientific collaboration between the two networks. In addition, all the American (US CZO, DOE Watersheds), German (TERENO), Canadian (GIWS) and Chinese (CZEN) networks are joining their forces to organize workshops about the Critical Zone in the framework or the AGU Fall Meeting (1st workshop in 2019; 2nd workshop in 2020).

The international action of IR OZCAR also includes support for the preparation of calls for projects. The launch of the Coordinated Research Action (CRA) “Soil sustainability”, of the Belmont Forum, released in the first quarter of 2020, is an example of this. (Results to be seen)

Finally, OZCAR-RI participated in the organization and animation of the exhibition “Critical Zone” at the ZKM Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe, in Germany, from 23 may 2020 to 08 august 2021. This exhibition invites to approach the critical situation of Earth in different ways (scientific, artistic, philosophical) and to explore new coexistence ways between all forms of life. In the central hall we can find the CZO Museum, where an observatory of the Critical Zone, the Strengbach observatory located in the Vosges forest (OHGE/OZCAR observatory) has been reconstructed. The IPGP, OZCAR-RI, Equipex CRITEX and the start-up Extralab, born at IPGP, contributed to this achievement with artists for the production of multimedia versions of scientific content of this observatory. Several scientists from OZCAR RI network were also present for the virtual opening festival of the exhibition (https://critical-zones.zkm.de/#!/).