IIASA | International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis

News

Aerial view of solar farm with solar panels

21 October 2026

New UN report lays out emissions cuts needed for return to 1.5°C

IIASA researchers contributed to the UNEP Emissions Gap Report 2026: The Point of Return, which finds that urgent emissions cuts are needed to minimize global warming above 1.5°C and return to this threshold by the end of the century.

Happy multinational family with kids preparing salad in kitchen

20 October 2026

How are nutrition, the gut microbiome, and mental health connected?

Mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression affect millions of people across Europe and are increasingly recognized as closely linked to diet, nutrition, social inequalities and broader lifestyle factors. IIASA researchers are collaborating on new Horizon Europe-funded research project, NUTRIMIND (Understanding Mental Health and Nutrition in Europe), which aims to explore how nutrition, dietary choices, the gut microbiome, and lifestyle factors might interact with mental health.

Tree frog Hypsiboas geograficus peeping over green leaf

19 October 2026

13% of Earth's land identified as biodiversity conservation hotspots

As governments prepare to gather in Yerevan, Armenia, this week for the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP17), new research identifies 13% of Earth's land area as hotspots for biodiversity conservation, highlighting where conservation efforts are most urgently needed.

IIASA at the United Nations Biodiversity Conference

IIASA researchers will contribute to multiple side-events at the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity – an international meeting bringing together governments, researchers, and policymakers from around the world.

IIASA at the Beijing Science Dialogue 2026: Science in a complex world – Science for a better future

IIASA Director General Hans Joachim (John) Schellnhuber will participate in a high-level discussion on science as a global public good during an international gathering organized by the International Science Council (ISC) in Beijing, China.

Fisherman throwing his net during sunset

Uganda-Austria water partnership leaves scientific legacy for water management

IIASA Journalist in Residence Lisa Palmer's latest article in the Science Diplomat highlights an IIASA-led partnership which found about 60% of Uganda’s rivers in good condition while building national capacity to track pollution and manage growing risks.

Education © Svetlana Diacenco | Dreamstime

Training workshop: Demographic analysis with applications to aging, health, and education

IIASA, together with the College of Population Studies, Chulalongkorn University, will host an intensive and internationally recognized training in advanced demographic analysis with applications to aging, health, and education, taking place in Thailand from 2–25 November 2026.

Winter scene taken in the farming community of Chilliwack, British Columbia

Arms, food, and nuclear winter: An IIASA modeling story spanning 40 years

In the 1980s, IIASA researchers asked what cutting military budgets and redirecting these funds to agriculture could do for the world's food supply. Today, researchers at the Institute are asking the reverse question: what would happen to the world’s food if nuclear weapons were used? A folder of working papers from 40 years ago highlights some striking connections between these two questions.

Events

20 October 2026 Barcelona, Spain

ENFORCE Annual Project Meeting

21 October 2026 Online

Tipping points webinar series: Socioeconomic transitions

26 October 2026 Shanghai University

Workshop: Rethinking Urbanization in Asia

Vision and Members

The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) is an independent international research institute with National and Regional Member Organisations in Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe.

Learn more about IIASA

Vision

The IIASA vision for 2021 to 2030 is to be the primary destination for integrated systems solutions and policy insights to current, emerging and novel global sustainability challenges, threats, and opportunities.

Members

Each IIASA member is represented by a National or Regional Member Organization that governs and funds the institute and acts as a bridge to link the country’s research and policy communities to IIASA.