IIASA Insights

IIASA Insights is an informal outlet for IIASA researchers and the wider IIASA global network to share their research, insights, and perspectives. It does not necessarily represent the official views or position of the institute.

Colorful Tuk-Tuk vehicle and pedestrians in crowded traffic of Delhi with visible smog of air pollution

27 April 2026

Cleaning the air in South Asia: Why science and cooperation matter

IIASA researchers Pallav Purohit and Zbigniew Klimont examined the urgent challenge of air pollution in South Asia and the opportunities to address it through science-based policy and regional cooperation. In the run-up to the recent International Vienna Energy and Climate Forum, they drew on recent research and real-world examples to highlight how integrated approaches to energy, climate, and air quality can deliver cleaner air, improved health, and more resilient economies for nearly one billion people.

Energy, Climate, and Environment (ECE) Pollution Management (PM) Greenhouse Gas and Air Pollution Interactions and Synergies (GAINS) Bangladesh Bhutan India Nepal Pakistan

Hhistorical house build from sandstone stones nd wood. Thermal camera photography, infrared scan

23 April 2026

Building sector climate neutrality by 2050: Do we have a concrete elephant in the room at home?

Ahead of the recent International Vienna Energy and Climate Forum, IIASA researchers Benigna Boza-Kiss and Shonali Pachauri explored the often-overlooked role of the building sector in achieving climate neutrality by 2050. Drawing on IIASA research, they highlight the urgent need to transform how buildings are designed, renovated, and used, emphasizing demand-side solutions, policy reform, and systemic change to avoid locking in emissions for decades to come.

Energy, Climate, and Environment (ECE) Sustainable Service Systems (S3) Transformative Institutional and Social Solutions (TISS)

Young trees growing in a hilly landscape

13 April 2026

Planting trees to remove carbon can harm the environment – or protect it: study highlights trade‑offs

In a new article published on The Conversation, IIASA researchers Gaurav Ganti and Joeri Rogelj, together with colleagues from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Ruben Prütz and Sabine Fuss, explore the complex trade-offs involved in planting trees to remove carbon from the atmosphere, highlighting how such efforts can either support or undermine environmental goals depending on how and where they are implemented.

Energy, Climate, and Environment (ECE) Integrated Climate Impacts (ICI)

Aerial view of winding road through autumn colored forest

08 April 2026

Forest Talks webinar explores integrating Earth observation and national forest inventories across Europe

The most recent edition of the Forest Talks webinar series – jointly hosted by the ForestNavigator project (coordinated by IIASA) together with the ForestPaths and PathFinder projects – brought together researchers, modelers, and national reporting experts to discuss advances in Earth observation (EO) for forest monitoring and greenhouse gas inventory support across Europe.

Biodiversity and Natural Resources (BNR) Integrated Biosphere Futures (IBF) Czech Republic Germany Ireland Italy Poland Sweden United Kingdom

23 March 2026

Our infrastructure is much more fragile than we think

Cyberattacks, blackouts, natural disasters: in a world where physical and digital systems are becoming ever more tightly intertwined, disruptions can quickly paralyze entire infrastructures. At a recent public lecture co-hosted by IIASA and the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW), renowned computer scientist and mathematician Dimitris E. Simos spoke about these vulnerabilities. In this interview, he explains why our systems are particularly susceptible to attacks, how chain reactions occur, and what each of us can do to improve security.

Network Austria

Sunny sky over an eco-friendly city with green rooftops, solar panels, and tree-lined avenues.

12 March 2026

Advancing knowledge on cities and climate change: Insights from the IIASA Urban Futures Hub

The IIASA Urban Futures Hub is a cutting-edge research initiative dedicated to studying and assessing how cities and urban systems can lead climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts from local to global scales. The Hub regularly brings together experts from various disciplines within and beyond the Institute to collaborate on assessing cities and climate change across diverse domains and scales. IIASA researchers Leila Niamir and Merle Quade share insights from the initiative's latest expert workshop.

Energy, Climate, and Environment (ECE) Sustainable Service Systems (S3) Transformative Institutional and Social Solutions (TISS) Japan

23 February 2026

Validating disaster and climate resilience: how to create a gold standard for resilience-measurement

As climate risks intensify, fostering community resilience has become a global priority but a fundamental question remains for practice and policy: how can resilience be defined, measured, and proven to inform implementation? Together with the Zurich Climate Resilience Alliance, IIASA researchers have spent more than a decade developing and scientifically validating a universally-applicable framework to measure community resilience, turning a concept into an evidence-based tool to guide real-world implementation in the most vulnerable communities across the globe.

Advancing Systems Analysis (ASA) Systemic Risk and Resilience (SYRR) Flood Resilience Measurement for Communities (FRMC) YSSP

Experience the resilience and strength of communities overcoming natural disasters, rebuilding with courage and determination. AI generated

16 February 2026

How do perceptions impact behavior during multi-hazard events? Citizens at the heart of multi-hazard resilience

In this IIASA Insights article, Nadejda Komendantova and Tahereh Zobeidi explore how behavioral science can strengthen disaster resilience by deepening our understanding of how people perceive and respond to risk. Drawing on their work within the PARATUS project, they highlight how integrating human decision-making into multi-hazard risk assessment can support more effective and socially grounded resilience strategies.

Network Advancing Systems Analysis (ASA) Cooperation and Transformative Governance (CAT)

Downtown New Orleans, Louisiana, USA Skyline

16 January 2026

IIASA at AGU25: Engagement with Global Earth System Science

Participation in leading international scientific conferences is an important element of IIASA’s engagement with the global research community. In December, IIASA researchers participated in the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting 2025 (AGU25) in New Orleans, one of the world’s largest annual conferences in Earth, climate, and environmental sciences. IIASA researcher Andre Nakhavali shares some reflections and experiences from the event.

Biodiversity and Natural Resources (BNR) Integrated Biosphere Futures (IBF) United States of America

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