IIASA | International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis

News

01 October 2026

Where the waters meet: Connecting global limits and local water management

Human activity and climate change are putting growing pressure on water resources, disrupting the predictability of the water cycle, and changing the availability and quality of freshwater. IIASA researchers and partners have developed a new framework for guiding water management and planning at the river-basin level, derived from the existing Global Water Planetary Boundary.

State of Global Water Resources 2025 report

23 September 2026

Global water report warns of increasingly erratic freshwater conditions

IIASA water-quality modeling has contributed to the World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) State of Global Water Resources 2025 report. The assessment shows that the global water cycle is becoming increasingly erratic, with serious implications for people and economies worldwide.

Group photo of participants at the COP17 side event in Mongolia

22 September 2026

IIASA at UNCCD COP17: Advancing land restoration and resilience

Building on its engagement at the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP16) in Riyadh, IIASA contributed to a series of events and bilateral discussions at UNCCD COP17, held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, towards the end of August. Under the theme, Restoring Land, Restoring Hope, COP17 advanced action on land degradation, drought resilience, and sustainable land management, with particular emphasis on rangelands and pastoral livelihoods.

From Cold War bridge to global mediator: Science diplomacy for a fractured world

On 4 October the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Laxenburg quietly turns 54. The date matters less as an anniversary than as a reminder of an experiment begun in the Cold War: whether science can preserve dialogue when politics fails to. More than half a century later, that experiment has new urgency.

Diverse group of students in a lecture hall

IIASA in Salzburg: Discover global research opportunities for your career

The University of Salzburg will welcome representatives of IIASA and the Austrian IIASA Committee for a day dedicated to scientific exchange, dialogue, and exploring future opportunities for collaboration with IIASA.

Network of North Africa with blue illuminated connections

OSCE-IIASA Partnership on Energy Systems Analysis and Capacity Building for Long-term Regional Energy Security Planning

OSCE Partners with IIASA to Inform Long-Term Regional Energy Security Planning Amid Escalating Climate and Systemic Risks

A shared agenda for population ageing

Sergei Scherbov brings decades of IIASA research on population ageing, longevity, and demographic change to the Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Population Ageing 2026.

Aerial view of a road winding through a dense forest

ForestNavigator Research Marketplace and Final Conference

The final event of the EU funded ForestNavigator project will bring together researchers, policymakers, industry representatives, and other stakeholders in Brussels, Belgium to explore the project’s key results and discuss pathways for the future of Europe’s forests and forest-based sector.

Events

07 October 2026 Barcelona, Spain

Open Earth Monitor Final Workshop 2026

14 October 2026 tokyo & online

Making Nature-Based Solutions Work: Planning, Social Acceptance, and Governance

16 October 2026 Residence Palace, Brussels, Belgium

Final LAMASUS Conference

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.