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. 

Models, tools, datasets

Forestry and logging

Global Forest Model (G4M)

Projects

Chamois picture taken near the Rax

Designing a resilient and coherent Trans-European Network for Nature and People (NaturaConnect)

Staff

Andrey Krasovskiy profile picture

Andrey Krasovskiy

Research Scholar (AFE)

Christian Folberth profile picture

Christian Folberth

Research Scholar (AFE)

Juraj Balkovic profile picture

Juraj Balkovic

Research Scholar (AFE)

Xu Deng profile picture

Xu Deng

Guest Research Assistant (IBF)

News

IIASA

26 May 2023

President of the UN General Assembly visits IIASA

IIASA was honored to welcome a delegation from the Office of the President of the 77th UN General Assembly led by H.E. Ambassador Csaba Kőrösi earlier this week.
Wildlife seen through ruins

11 May 2023

Nature is changing as land abandonment increases

When people leave their rural lives behind to seek their fortunes in the city or agriculture is no longer profitable, the lands they toiled on are often left unused. A new perspective piece in Science shows that these abandoned lands could be both an opportunity and a threat for biodiversity, and highlights why abandoned lands are critical in the assessment of global restoration and conservation targets.
Andrey and Shelby @EGU_2023

10 May 2023

FLAM Model Presentations Garner Positive Feedback at Prestigious Conferences

In recent conferences, the FLAM model, developed by researchers Andrey Krasovskiy and Shelby Corning, has captivated audiences with its valuable applications in wildfire dynamics and future projections under climate change scenarios. These presentations, held at renowned conferences and symposiums, have garnered positive feedback and paved the way for potential future collaborations.

Focus

Multi-colored bird and tropical flowers

20 April 2023

2030 nature targets agreed in December may already be slipping out of reach

IIASA researcher Richard Cornford and colleagues discuss the need for urgent action to stop biodiversity declines, and caution that ambitious targets to stop these declines by 2030 may already be slipping out of reach, in an article just published in The Conversation.  

28 March 2023

The future of biodiversity monitoring in Europe

Policy Brief #37, March 2023. Increasing the policy impact and effectiveness of biodiversity monitoring in Europe: current state and gaps.
Globe on moss
Aerial drone shot of palm plantation on high mountain

25 January 2023

Ambitious actions are urgently needed to shift food and land use systems to a sustainable future

The Food, Agriculture, Biodiversity, Land-Use and Energy (FABLE) Consortium's publication in Sustainability Science collects insights from 20 countries.

Publications