© SYRR Group
Systemic Risk and Resilience (SYRR) aims to assess and support the management of systemic anthropogenic and environmental risks.
The SYRR research group analyses the increasingly systemic socio-ecological risks associated with global and local change, and with policy, practice and civil society co-generates options for building resilience.
Global change through rising physical and social interdependencies is leading to increasingly systemic and existential risks that lead to cascading impacts and potentially intolerable burdens on communities and societies across the world.
SYRR develops and applies agile systems science to address social-ecological risks that are embedded in complex systems and characterised by potentially cascading, irreversible and existential consequences. We identify risk drivers, model network interactions, assess probabilistic outcomes and co-develop stakeholder-driven options with policy, practice and civil society that are applicable across scales.
Our approach for addressing existential and systemic risk combines advanced quantitative modeling and qualitative research with empirical assessment and soft systems analysis.
SYRR research is conducted along the following thematic research lines:
1. Systemic Risk Assessment and Management
Advance and apply quantitative estimation methods to assess emerging systemic risks and disaster resilience.
2. Socio-Ecological Resilience
Develop and apply ecological network principles to the resilience in socio-ecological systems.
3. Co-production, Engagement and Experiential learning
Effectively apply and develop participatory methods with policy and practice to create impact.
4. Risk and Resilience Policy and Practice
Further develop and apply methods to inform risk management and climate adaptation decision-making in planning, coordination, and policy formation, with attention to complex multi-stakeholder and multi-criteria contexts.
We focus, inter alia, on risk and resilience associated with climate change, disasters, food webs, finance and pandemics. SYRR work builds on activities and experience gained from the previous IIASA programs on Risk and Resilience (RISK) as well as Advanced Systems Analysis (ASA) and Evolution and Ecology (EEP).
Resilience labs
In order to address complex resilience problems, SYRR implements Resilience Labs. These labs bring together research, policy and practice in transdisciplinary co-generative exercises using quantitative and qualitative research methods for creating enhanced insight and impact.
Resilience labs held and planned:
- Limits to adaptation workshop held (see paper).
- Resilience in the Loss&Damage space: Expert-elicitation workshop in December 2024 (see project site).
- Polycrisis and systemic risk (planned for 2025).
- Multi-hazard and complex risk (planned for 2025).
- Resilience in economic and financial systems (online series in planning).
Projects
Smart Policy Support for Integrated Climate Risk Management (SMARTSUPPORT)
Loss and Damage
Staff
Stefan Hochrainer-Stigler
Senior Research Scholar (SYRR)
Saige Wang
Guest Research Scholar (SYRR)
Elisa Calliari
Research Scholar (SYRR)
Romain Clercq-Roques
Research Scholar (SYRR)
News
05 November 2024
SPARCCLE Consortium Marks One-Year Milestone with In-Person Meeting and Workshops
The SPARCCLE consortium gathered at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) from 8th to 10th October for an in-person meeting and workshops, celebrating a year of progress and planning for the next phases. The three-day event brought together consortium members from across nine countries, as well as the project’s esteemed Stakeholder Advisory Board members.
04 October 2024
Countries under fiscal pressure from recent disaster events
Recent flood events in Europe have caused huge losses in many countries, including Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia. IIASA research shows that while Pan-European emergency aid financing is important to assist countries in coping with large-scale natural hazard induced disaster events, there is a need to think about new ways forward for the size and scope of funding levels as well as bringing fairness and other proactive risk financing instruments into consideration.
02 September 2024
Enhancing global collaboration to build community resilience against multiple climate-related risks
IIASA is a longstanding member of the Zurich Flood Resilience Alliance, which will now be known as the Zurich Climate Resilience Alliance to address a broader range of climate hazards including floods, heatwaves, and wildfires, and work towards systemic change. This shift reflects the growing urgency to enhance climate resilience in communities around the world as climate-induced disasters become more frequent and severe.
Events
Lusaka, Zambia
REACH Training and Fieldwork in Zambia
University of Applied Arts, Vienna
IIASA colleagues presenting at the 5th Circular Strategies Symposium
Focus
13 November 2024
COP29: Loss and Damage funding has to be at core of new climate finance regime
The focus of the ongoing COP is to decide on a new finance regime. Major polluters will be asked to massively increase their financial contributions to developing nations. Researchers from IIASA and CMCC show that Loss and Damage needs of vulnerable countries range between roughly 130 and 940 billion Dollars in 2025 alone. On top of money for mitigation and adaptation.
17 October 2024
Navigating multi-hazard risks: building resilience in a systemic risk landscape
IIASA researchers Robert Sakic Trogrlic and Stefan Hochrainer-Stigler explore the growing complexity of natural hazards and their interconnected impacts on communities. Their research offers insights into the challenges faced by communities worldwide and underscores the importance of building more resilient systems in an interconnected, increasingly hazard-prone world.
Publications
Zisopoulos, F.K., Fath, B. , Toboso-Chavero, S., Huang, H., Schraven, D., Steuer, B., Stefanakis, A., Clark, O.G., Scrieciu, S., Singh, S., Noll, D., & de Jong, M. (2025). Inequities blocking the path to circular economies: A bio-inspired network-based approach for assessing the sustainability of the global trade of waste metals. Resources, Conservation and Recycling 212 e107958. 10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107958. Gerber, G. , MacKay, F., & Scharler, U.M. (2024). Ecological networks reveal important taxa for ecosystem function in two subtropical South African estuaries. Environmental Development 52 e101090. 10.1016/j.envdev.2024.101090. Gerber, G. & Scharler, U. (2024). Jump around: Selecting Markov Chain Monte Carlo parameters and diagnostics for improved food web model quality and ecosystem representation. Ecological Informatics 84 e102865. 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2024.102865. Tanaka, T., Koga, A., & Yokomatsu, M. (2024). Agent‐based intra‐regional relocation model considering spatial local amenity for urban planning‐based flood risk management: Assessing the impact of urban development on flood exposure. Journal of Flood Risk Management 17 (4) e13035. 10.1111/jfr3.13035. Davies, T., Loghmani, T., & Fath, B. (2024). “Solutions” are not the answer. Frontiers in Sustainability 5 10.3389/frsus.2024.1509972.