News | IIASA

16 September 2026

Exploring new opportunities for regional collaboration across sub-Saharan Africa

IIASA recently welcomed a high-level delegation from its Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Member Organization (SSARMO), its first Regional Member Organization, to explore and shape the next phase of collaboration across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Protecting the Earth - International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction. A globe encircled by protective hands, with symbols of natural disasters like hurricanes, earthquakes, and fires, emphasizing the importance of disaster risk reduction and global safety.

14 September 2026

IIASA's CAT Group Co-Chairs Key Resilience Track at International Conference on Resilient Systems 2026

Nadejda Komendantova, Research Group Leader of the Cooperation and Transformative Governance (CAT) Group at IIASA, co-chaired a landmark track at the International Conference on Resilient Systems 2026 at the Delft University of Technology, titled "Complex Adaptive Social Systems and Natural Hazard Resilience: Application, Methods, and Future Directions." This event served as key dissemination of results from IIASA's contributions to the PARATUS project, showcasing advanced systems analysis for disaster resilience.

Digital Government and Online Public Services Technology. Man using laptop with icons digital government systems, AI, cloud technology, law, and digital transformation in public administration

14 September 2026

IIASA researcher Nadya Komendantova contributes to UN STI Forum 2026 side event on digital public infrastructure for the common good

IIASA researcher Nadya Komendantova participated in a side event to the 2026 UN Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the SDGs, which took place at United Nations Headquarters in New York on the 7th May 2026. The event, organized by International Association for the Advancement of Innovative Approaches to Global Challenges (IAAI GloCha), focused on Global Challenges Action ID and Global Challenges Action Registry solutions for youth-led action, healthy communities, and climate-resilient development through digital public infrastructure.

Group of young African women standing on a road

14 September 2026

Can a warming climate put women at greater risk?

Unusually warm periods could have a link to an increased risk of intimate partner violence against women, according to a new IIASA-led study covering 31 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The findings highlight how rising temperatures may compound existing risks of violence, with effects varying between demographic groups.

Diverse Children Work Together on a Large Floor Puzzle Surrounded by Bright Colors During an Engaging Activity Session.

10 September 2026

Hop & Mop project’s Co-creation of mini-blocks: schoolchildren’s teamwork as the center of developing ideas

Schoolchildren are the stakeholders that will be benefit from the city not only for today, but also for a long time in the future. As such it is crucial to include them in designing their environment. They have a fresh eye on spotting the issues and can think creatively and at the same time critically to come up with ideas to develop their environment. Hop & Mop project is aimed to work with the schoolchildren to design mini-block prototype in the streets near their schools.

10 September 2026

World Aging Data Explorer (WADE) on UNESCO’s Digital Innovation Hub

Developed by Sergei Schebov at IIASA’s Population and Just Societies Program (POPJUS), the World Aging Data Explorer (WADE) is featured on UNESCO’s Digital Innovation Hub.

Austrian Parliament Building, historic landmark in Vienna

10 September 2026

Emotionalization of Political Discourse: IIASA Researcher Presents Study at the Day of Parliamentary Research 2026

Dmitry Erokhin, PhD, Research Scholar at IIASA, presents a poster on the emotionalization of political discourse at the Day of Parliamentary Research 2026 at the Austrian Parliament. His study analyzes public comments on YouTube videos related to major Austrian political parties and applies sentiment and topic analysis to examine how emotions, facts, polarization, and toxicity shape online political debate. The findings provide insights into how digital media influences public perceptions of parties and democratic processes, and how parliaments can better respond to emotionally charged political communication.

Herd of goats and sheep grazing in pasture in Mongolia.

10 September 2026

New IIASA–UNCCD report, Prospects for Carbon Farming in Greater Central Asia, launched at UNCCD COP17

The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) launched a new report exploring opportunities to advance carbon farming in Greater Central Asia at a UNCCD COP17 side event in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Engineer monitoring renewable energy: solar panels, wind turbines, and hydrogen storage

07 September 2026

Investing in climate and clean air action can deliver 15-fold returns

Every US$1 invested in tackling climate change and air pollution together can generate around US$15 in economic benefits, according to a report published today by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC). This is higher than tackling climate and clean air separately and includes both market and non-market economic gains.