Building on the research previously undertaken in the Ecosystems Services and Management and Water programs, the BNR Program fully exploits the potential for biodiversity research within integrated system analysis.
The program brings together different elements of land and aquatic ecosystems including agriculture, forests, and fisheries with water and the marine environment to inform global and regional policy assessments and provide robust science-based knowledge and foresight. The program aims to establish IIASA as an international community hub for biosphere research through innovative tool development; to lead the integration of biophysical-economic modeling with governance; to engage with stakeholders; and to facilitate community driven efforts. It provides policymaking support through core program and group research undertaken in the four BNR research groups.
BNR further engages in bilateral collaborations with other research programs and groups at the institute on key cross-cutting themes such as climate change adaptation and mitigation, the green economy, resilient food systems, transboundary governance, resource depletion and migration, and digital transformation.
Young Scientists Summer Program (YSSP)
The Young Scientists Summer Program (YSSP) at IIASA offers an exceptional opportunity for PhD students to engage in collaborative research with IIASA’s interdisciplinary teams.
Each summer, participants work on projects closely related to their doctoral research under the guidance of experienced IIASA scientists, contributing to IIASA’s mission of addressing complex global challenges.
YSSP opportunities in BNR Program YSSP - Young Scientists Summer Program
Models, tools, datasets
Global Forest Model (G4M)
Global Biosphere Management Model (GLOBIOM)
Community Water Model (CWatM)
Integrated model for BiodIversity distribution projectionS (ibis.iSDM)
Projects
European Union Biodiversity and Climate strategies Assessment (BIOCLIMA)
Designing a resilient and coherent Trans-European Network for Nature and People (NaturaConnect)
Creating leverage to enhance biodiversity outcomes of global biomass trade (CLEVER)
Advancing Capacity and Analytical Tools for Supporting Common Agricultural Policies post 2027 (ACT4CAP2027)
Staff
Carla Freund
Project Officer (BEC)
Chenzhi Wang
Guest Research Scholar (IBF)
Shiyu Li
Research Assistant (BNR)
Xinran Guo
Guest Research Assistant (WAT)
News
10 July 2026
CropSuit app to help farmers grow the right crops in the right places
Farmers, extension workers, and governments now have a powerful new tool to help identify the crops best suited to specific parcels of land, enabling more efficient use of resources and greater resilience to climate change.
07 July 2026
New framework identifies freshwater conservation priorities
Freshwater ecosystems are under growing pressure worldwide, but conservation resources are limited. A framework developed by IIASA researchers and partners can help identify where conservation could prevent biodiversity loss and where restoration efforts are likely to have the greatest ecological impact across the United States and Europe.
01 July 2026
“SITCA” Alliance for the global transition to timber construction
Under the leadership of IIASA Director General Hans Joachim (John) Schellnhuber, the Science and Timber Construction Alliance (SITCA) was officially launched today. The initiative aims to transform the construction sector into a driver of climate protection through sustainable forest management and modern timber construction.
Events
Focus
Annual Report 2025
Annual Report 2025: Biodiversity and Natural Resources Program Highlights
Balancing the needs of people and nature is one of the defining challenges of our time. Throughout 2025, the Biodiversity and Natural Resources Program advanced research on how societies can pursue climate, biodiversity, and development goals while managing growing pressures on land, water, energy, and ecosystems.
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.
Publications
Chlela, S., Forsell, N., & Selosse, S. (2026). Land–energy nexus to assess the contribution of carbon dioxide removal in net-zero emission pathways. Applied Energy 421 e128215. 10.1016/j.apenergy.2026.128215.
Milenkovic, M., Hofhansl, F. , Weinacker, R., Sturn, T., Karanam, S., Wild, B., Hollaus, M., Neumayr, C., Iglseder, A., Pfeifer, N., Zappa, L., Bruckman, V.J., Breitfuss-Schiffer, R., Schumacher, B., Gresse, H., Joly, A., Bonnet, P., Shchepashchenko, D. , See, L. , McCallum, I. , & Fritz, S. (2026). Tree-quest: A citizen science app for collecting single-tree information. Ecological Informatics 97 e103897. 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2026.103897.
Mohammadnezhad, M., Rezaee, A., & Smilovic, M. (2026). Multi-timescale streamflow projections in human-regulated basins of southwest Iran using CWatM and explainable machine learning. Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies 66 e103534. 10.1016/j.ejrh.2026.103534.
van Dijk, M. , Kuiper, M., de Lange, T., Koopman, J.F.L., & van Zeist, W.-J. (2026). Simulation of subnational projections of poverty and income distribution to support climate risk assessments: A case-study for Ethiopia. Climate Services 43 e100668. 10.1016/j.cliser.2026.100668.
Melnikova, I., Yokohata, T., Shchepashchenko, D. , Sitch, S., & Maksyutov, S. (2026). Land Carbon Sink Distribution in Northern Eurasia Is Driven by Climate Change. Global Biogeochemical Cycles 40 (7) e2025GB008971. 10.1029/2025GB008971.
Joseph, J., Luna Gonzalez, D., Fischer, G., Tramberend, S. , & Kahil, T. (2026). Regional trade and sustainable intensification advance rice self-sufficiency in East Africa. Environmental Research Letters 21 (13) e134006. 10.1088/1748-9326/ae7b5a.