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Options Magazine, Summer 2020: Our world is in the midst of an economic transformation as labor upheavals and climate change wreak havoc on present sustainability models. Could a focus on women’s empowerment help find a way out?
In our cover feature, we take a closer look at the gender dimension of sustainable development, and explore whether a greater focus on women’s empowerment could offer a way forward to ensure a more sustainable future for all. As we are fast approaching the institute’s 50th anniversary, we also focus on a number of selected research highlights achieved through collaborative efforts between IIASA researchers and colleagues from member countries and partner institutions around the globe. In addition, we delve into citizen science and co-design, which has been embraced by IIASA researchers, not only as an integral part of many research projects, but also as a creative input into advisory processes.
We hope that you enjoy reading the wide range of articles in this issue of Options.
Magazine articles
Vienna as a global hub for science diplomacy
In November 2019, IIASA cohosted the annual global meeting of science advisors to ministers of foreign affairs and other experts to discuss pressing issues in science diplomacy.
Engaging diverse groups for better policymaking
Options Summer 2020: How can system analysts engage in, or even co-design and implement, processes that provide inclusive, effective, and informed policy guidance? IIASA researchers are at the forefront of addressing this question.
The gender dimension of sustainable development
Options Summer 2020: Our world is in the midst of an economic transformation as labor upheavals and climate change wreak havoc on present sustainability models. Could a focus on women’s empowerment help find a way out?
Exploring the economics of climate change
Options Summer 2020: Climate change not only poses a threat to the planet and to people, it is also affecting economic stability. IIASA researchers are investigating how this can be addressed and what it will cost.
Opinion: What implications do the Australian wildfires hold for the world?
Options Summer 2020: John Handmer, Senior Science Adviser in the IIASA Risk and Resilience Program and Emeritus Professor with RMIT University’s School of Science in Australia, writes about the devastating impact of the Australian wildfires.
Interview: Building the foundation for a world of open data and open science
Options Summer 2020: Q&A with Alena Rybkina, Vice-President of the Committee on Data of the International Science Council (CODATA) and Deputy Director for Development of the Geophysical Center at the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Where are they now: Andreas Gros
Options Summer 2020: Andreas Gros was a participant of the Young Scientists Summer Program (YSSP) at IIASA in 2005.
Interview: Taking action for a sustainable future
Options Summer 2020: Thomas Schinko joined the institute as a Young Scientists Summer Program (YSSP) participant in 2014. He is currently the IIASA Risk and Resilience Deputy Program Director.
Modeling Israel’s energy future
Options Summer 2020: Researchers from IIASA and Israel have customized the IIASA MESSAGE and GLOBIOM models to Israel’s unique context, to provide Israeli policymakers with useful options and analyses as they plan for the future.
Empowering the crowd to restore Indonesia’s forests
Options Summer 2020: IIASA teamed up with Indonesian partners under the RESTORE+ project to establish a national platform for data collection campaigns through the Urundata crowdsourcing platform, thus allowing Indonesians to be more involved in efforts to restore forests and landscapes in the country.
Climate adaptation lessons learned from the Cape Town drought
Options Summer 2020: IIASA researchers explored how cities can enhance governance around climate change adaptation using the recent Cape Town water crisis as a case study.
Using modeling to plan for agricultural production increase in South Africa
Options Summer 2020: IIASA researchers modeled complex system linkages that affect food security in South Africa and found that sustained growth in the country’s agricultural sector is heavily dependent on careful planning and water use for irrigation.
Exploring biofuels without increased deforestation
Options Summer 2020: Brazil could potentially expand biofuel production without significantly affecting food production or increasing adverse land use impacts and deforestation, according to a recent IIASA study.
Analyzing US trade interdependencies using the Food-Energy-Water Nexus concept
Options Summer 2020: IIASA researchers used systems analysis methods to measure trade interdependencies between US states and found that the country’s current food supply chain is often not optimized for using available natural resources.
Using dynamic modeling to reduce acidification
Options Summer 2020: According to IIASA research, appropriate indicators are needed to characterize the sensitivity of ecosystems and help inform effects-based emission reduction policies to ensure surface water recovery from acidification by 2050.
Accurately modeling emissions reductions in China’s steel industry
Options Summer 2020: An analysis of China’s iron and steel industry highlighted that the tradeoffs and co-benefits of energy and resource efficiency, climate, and air quality must be taken into account when designing plans and policies to achieve multiple targets.